The Gift
by KricketWilliams
Summary: After an unexpected event on the eve of her birthday, Penelope finds the perfect gift. As usual, I don't own a thing.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: I'm back! I missed everyone; I was having severe author withdrawal while I was gone! This story is a long one, I hope you enjoy._

**Chapter 1**

"I hate him."

JJ shook her head and put a hand on top of Penelope's. "No, you don't. You don't hate anyone. Severely dislike, yes, but hate, no."

"No, JJ. I hate Kevin Lynch. I really do." She was serious.

"Because he left you for Elba Martin?" JJ gave her an incredulous look. "The woman has a hairy mole on her chin."

Penelope narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't make me feel better. Not one iota."

"Why? He's with a scag."

"There must be something very appealing about that scag, considering _he_ dumped _me_." She folded her arms dramatically and lowered her head to her forearms.

JJ winced. "He recently developed terrible taste in women?"

"I'm the laughingstock of the tech sector!" She wailed. "Suddenly, Elba is considered a hottie, because she broke up a long-term relationship, and I can't even keep Kevin Lynch."

"I don't understand the thinking of that department, Garcie."

"Me neither," she said, her voice still muffled from being buried in her arms. "God, I'm depressed."

"I'm calling Morgan-"

"No!" Pen cried, looking up at JJ with horror. She didn't want Derek there, especially because he'd know. He'd take one look at her and know she was holding back. He knew her way too well. JJ was her best girlfriend, but Derek was her best friend, period. He could discern anything she was trying to hide.

"Penelope," JJ said reasonably. "It's your birthday tomorrow; I do not want you to have a miserable birthday, and this is going to make you miserable. Morgan'll know what to do."

"Kevin, that scum," Penelope spat, thinking and narrowing her eyes and pouting even worse than before. "He did this before my birthday just to get out of buying a present! I know it."

Standing up from the table at the restaurant, JJ said, "I'll be right back."

Less than twenty minutes later, her knight in shining armor... rather, black jeans, black leather jacket, and maroon Henley shirt... came storming into the restaurant. He was scanning the dining room with a furious look on his gorgeous face. Spotting her and making eye contact, he came over quickly, pulling a chair up between herself and JJ.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he growled angrily. "I'd have been there for you. Why didn't you call?"

Penelope felt the tears hit the back of her eyes. She didn't cry when Kevin told her about Elba, she didn't cry when she was laughed and gossiped about by Nadia Bornstein and Kylie Manter, two of the chattiest tech girls, but she felt like bawling now. With Derek yelling at her, and she didn't do a damn thing wrong, she felt horrible.

The next thing she knew, she was crying, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh, Baby Girl!" Derek gasped, his face falling. "Shit. I'm so sorry."

She looked across the table at JJ, who had an uncomfortable, but sympathetic, look on her face. That made it worse. She started to cry even harder, even sobbing with a hiccup.

Great. This was just great. It was the eve of her thirty-fourth birthday and she was crying like an idiot at her favorite Italian restaurant with her two closest friends.

Derek signaled for the waiter, who came over promptly. "I'm taking her over to the Club Room. I need two shots of straight Jack, and two glasses of Jack and Coke, tall, straight." He stood, dragging Penelope to her feet. "JJ, you got the dinner check?"

"Certainly," she said, looking relieved not to have to deal with the situation. JJ didn't understand the nuances of Penelope's relationship with Derek, but she knew if anyone would make her feel better, it was him.

Whisking his still crying best friend across the restaurant, Derek began to murmur sweet nothings to her. "Shh... Baby... Come on, now."

The restaurant was in an old train depot. There was a main room, set for dining and dancing, and several other side rooms. Penelope and Derek's favorite was the Club Room. Set in 1930's style décor, deep leather booths and overstuffed armchairs that looked like they came directly from a gangster club, dark wallpaper and paneling, mood lighting, a huge fireplace, it was romantic and chic.

He found a darkened corner with the biggest armchair and sat down, pulling Penelope into his lap. "Come on, baby. Tell Uncle Derek all about it."

"Derek, that's ridiculous." She protested a little, but he tightened his arms around her, holding her still.

"Nonsense. You're my Baby Girl, regardless of how old you're gonna be in a few hours," he teased.

That caused a resurgence of tears.

Derek saw the waiter and took the drinks, and said, "One more shot."

"No. I don't want-"

"Drink," he said, putting the shot up to her lips. She drank the fiery bourbon down, and coughed, and the tears immediately stopped. She had to concentrate on breathing; she couldn't cry.

Derek threw his shot back, too, then handed her the mixed drink. "Here. Drink."

She gave him a wary look, then took a sip. It was much smoother, now that the other drink was gone. After all the crying, she felt really tired. Derek had one arm out, waiting for her to lean back into his embrace. Tired of fighting, she moved back and sighed sadly.

"Now, tell me what that motherfucker did."

Penelope stiffened a little. The menace in Derek's voice was unmistakable. She almost felt sorry for Kevin. Almost.

She took another sip of her drink, then hiccuped slightly. "He dumped me."

"Lynch? Dumped you?"

"Yep," she said dejectedly. "For Elba Martin."

"With the mole?"

Penelope wanted to crawl under a rock. She took another big sip of her drink, and plucked the maraschino cherries off the top, then popped them into her mouth. "Yeah. Elba with the mole."

"Whoa, wait a second, Baby," he said, looking confused. "Why would he dump you for Elba?"

She looked anywhere but at Derek and answered, "I don't know."

"Bullshit. What happened?"

She stiffened again, and tried to stand. "I don't want to talk about it."

He wrapped his arms around her again. "Hell, no. You're going to talk. Because it sure isn't because Elba's prettier."

"A catfish is prettier than Elba," she remarked nastily. She knew it was mean, but she didn't care.

"She has a mustache like a catfish," Derek replied with a cheesy grin.

It made her smile. "She does, doesn't she?"

He grinned back, and continued, "And it ain't because she's smarter than you are. She's no tech goddess."

"Damn straight," she said, still smiling as she took another sip.

"And we all know she's not as sexy as you are."

Penelope's smile fell.

Derek arched a brow. "Penelope? What is going on?"

"Elba is sexier," she whispered in a meek voice, tears showing in her eyes.

He looked at her and chuckled. "Hell, no! Why on earth would you think that?"

She muttered something under her breath, and the tears started to fall yet again.

The waiter came with the next two shots, and Derek handed her one. She shook her head, but he insisted. She threw that one back, coughing and sputtering, and took a big gulp of her drink, which was full again.

_How did it get full?_ she wondered, then noticed Derek wasn't drinking his. Her head was starting to spin just a little bit. She tried to sit up, to see if he had other drinks nearby, but she couldn't.

"Baby, tell me," he murmured. "Why do you think Elba is sexier than you?"

"Not just Elba," she muttered, then sighed sadly. "Everyone."

"Why?"

She looked at him, then looked around the room to make sure no one else was listening. "Want to know a secret, Hot Stuff?"

"Yes, angel girl," he said. "Tell me."

"I can't get off with another person."

Derek was glad she was about a sheet to the wind, she wouldn't notice his surprised look. "You can't climax?"

"No, no, silly," she slurred with a grin. "I can come just fine with my fingers, or with Barney-"

Derek didn't ask. He wasn't sure he wanted to know!

"But when a man touches me, it's a no go."

He was shocked. "You're joking."

"Nope."

"Your boyfriends, they didn't know?" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

"I faked it." She pouted. "Kevin figured it out, and was mad at me. Said there is something wrong with me."

Derek had the extreme wish to pound the shit out of Kevin Lynch. He dated her for nearly three years, and he didn't make her come, and blamed it on her? He thought about all the other boyfriends she had that didn't bring her to orgasm. Penelope was one of the hottest women he'd ever known. She radiated sex. How could they not make her climax?

"Listen," he said, holding her tighter against his chest. She was sniffling again, and he wanted that to end, immediately. "That is the fault of the men you dated, not you. There is nothing wrong with you, sweetheart. Nothing."

"Yes, there is."

"No, there isn't," he stressed. "If I don't satisfy a woman I am with, it is on me, not her."

"No man has satisfied me, Derek," she whispered quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "If it was one or two, then I would understand. But I've dated five guys in my life, and none have made me come."

"That's a ridiculous thought," he said, holding her on his lap. "Trust me."

She sighed, and leaned back into his arms. "I don't want to talk about it any more, honey."

"Alright, P," he reluctantly agreed. He obviously had more to say on the subject. Instead, he held her on his lap, and they chatted for a long time about nothing. Then he grinned. "Do you know what I was doing before I got here?"

"What?"

"Shopping for _your_ birthday present," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "I got you the most fantastic, most perfect thing."

"Ooh!" She squealed, bouncing on his lap. "What did you get me?"

"Whoa, settle," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "All I am saying is this. When I ask, _Who's your Daddy?_, you know the answer."

She pouted. "Please?"

The waiter stopped by. "Last call, sir."

He reached into his back pocket, and handed him his card to settle up the tab. "Just telling you that much. You can wait one day, Little Miss Impatient."

Standing too quickly, she swayed on her feet. Derek stood and caught her against his chest. "Careful, sugar."

"Too much Jack, too little Penelope," she said with a grin.

He smiled at her. "Mmm hmm. Come on. I'll take you home."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Heading down the I-95 corridor, Derek exited for Penelope's apartment. It was almost two am, the roads were pretty much deserted. She was curled up against his arm, solidly asleep. He needed to wake her up, get her into her nightclothes, make her drink some water and take some aspirin before he could let her sleep.

Glancing down at her pretty face, her thick lashes resting on her cheeks, her pink lips relaxed and full, he was struck by how young she looked. She had an innocence about her that many others in the FBI didn't, a trust, a lack of cynicism that almost added up to naivety. Even Reid was more cynical than Penelope.

Derek shook his head. It wasn't being naive. It was that she believed in humanity. Truly believed in her heart the best of people, until they shot her in the foot, like Lynch did.

Thinking of Lynch made Derek want to gut the man. He rarely felt hatred like he did at that moment. Maybe three times in his life he had that same feeling about a human being; one of those times revolved around Penelope, too. He hated seeing her hurt, and hated the offenders that caused her hurt. She was truly one of the good people of this earth, a walking angel.

Pulling up in front of her courtyard, Derek nudged her. "Baby, we're here."

"Mmm," she muttered, snuggling further into his right bicep.

"Come on, honey," he said, leaning her up so she was against the back of her seat. He stepped out, and walked around to her side. "Baby Girl. Wake up."

She scowled at him, but stepped out of the truck.

"That's my girl."

They made it up the walk to the front door. He opened it, and helped her in. He stopped her at the kitchen, got her a glass of water, and two aspirin.

She frowned.

"Take it," he said. "Can't have you being crabby on your birthday."

She took the medicine, then tried to sit down. "I need to rest, D."

With that, he scooped her up into his arms. "No, you need to _sleep_. Resting on the chair ain't gonna cut it. He walked through the beaded curtain of her bedroom doorway and sat her on her bed. He knelt in front of her. "Can you get your Pjs on?"

She nodded. "Turn around."

He did. When a few minutes passed, and he didn't hear anything, he turned around.

She was still sitting there, but her eyes were closed.

Sighing, Derek started rummaging through her drawers. In her top dresser drawer, under her underwear, he found some rather private things, some rather candid pictures and a vibrator. A purple vibrator.

Immediately, he thought three things. His first thought was that he had that vibrator beat. He figured since it was true, it wasn't being vain.

His second thought was now he knew what _Barney _was. Leave it up to Penelope to name it something like that!

Third, he thought he probably shouldn't look at her stuff. That was the least of his worries; he'd let her go through his dirty drawer someday if she wanted to. He had a few kinky things in there that would make her grin and blush.

He shrugged. He was getting off track. He had a job to do, taking care of his best friend, and he was going to do it.

Next drawer had her pajamas. He reached in and found a cute set with little cherries all over it. He squatted in front of her. "Lift your arms." She complied, and he pulled her shirt over her head.

He was knocked silly for a moment, staring at the perfection of her cleavage. Derek was a breast man, and damn, did his Baby Girl have it going on! Milky white, overflowing their cups; he had to fight the urge to bury his face in between them and make motorboat noises.

He groaned. "Lord, help me."

That, understandably, woke her up. "Derek, I've got it."

"No, you don't," he said, reaching for her bra clasp. He barely touched it, and it came undone.

She held the cups to her chest. "Yes, I do. Turn around."

"Okay," he said, turning. "But I'm counting to ten, and you better have that shirt on."

A minute or so later, she said, "You can turn back."

He turned around and saw her in her in the cherry covered tank top and short shorts, standing there. She looked adorable and so damn hot; that outfit definitely became her. Derek fought like hell to ignore his body's response to her. He was her best friend; she didn't need him to pant over her.

"I'll tuck you in," he said, and she scootched up in the bed and under her blanket. He leaned over her and kissed her forehead. "Happy birthday, Baby Girl."

"Derek?"

"What, honey?"

Her eyes filled with tears again. "Is there something wrong with me?"

The urge to throttle Lynch came back full force. "No, sweetheart. Trust me. You've been with the wrong men. Ones that don't deserve the title of being called men."

"Kevin said all his other girlfriends came easily."

Derek's lip curled in disgust. "Somehow, I highly doubt that."

"He went down on me, even." Her cheeks turned red, and a few tears fell over. "He said that always worked, and it didn't. Not for me."

Derek cupped her cheek, ran his thumb to catch the tear. "Baby, if they're done wrong, the best sexual acts won't make you climax. With women, especially."

She looked at him rather confused. "How?"

He smiled and leaned over her. "You wanna know the biggest erogenous zone for a woman?"

She nodded.

"Here," he said, touching her forehead. "It's your mind, Baby Girl. If you aren't feeling it, if you aren't turned on and wanting it, warmed up the right way, it's not going to happen. Something he did caused it not to happen, it had nothing to do with you. He's the one that missed a step somewhere."

Penelope began to cry again. "I love you, Derek."

"I love you, too, Birthday Girl." He held her in his arms. "Very much."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He released her and sat down.

He sat there for a minute on the edge of her bed looking at her. She was awake still, her eyes sleepy and glassy, her whole body relaxed. A thought crossed his mind, one that should've been completely forbidden, one that never should've breached his gray matter. But it did. Looking at her, relaxed, peaceful, happy, he thought she looked in the perfect state for reaching climax.

And the worst thing was, he really wanted to see her reach that pinnacle. More than he wanted to breath.

"Derek?"

"What, honey?"

"Why are you sitting there, looking at me like that?"

Derek blushed. He couldn't see it, but he knew he blushed. "I better go."

"Okay." She smiled at him. "Goodnight."

"Do you want an orgasm?" The words were out before he could stop them.

"What?"

Now that he said it, he couldn't take it back. "From me. I can prove it to you that you can have one from another person." He looked at her again. "Me, in particular."

She was quiet. Very quiet. She looked at him, flushed beet red, then swallowed hard. "Not right now. But thank you for offering."

He breathed again. He didn't realize he was holding his breath, didn't realize he was anticipating it that badly.

"Okay. Goodnight." His voice sounded a little flat, and he was disappointed in himself for feeling that way.

Her voice was soft, sleepy."That was very sweet to offer, D."

Good God, she was _comforting_ him. He needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. "No big deal."

He bit back a groan. _Great. That's just great, Morgan- sound callous because you're frustrated._

"Well, thank you, anyway," she said, rolling over on her side and closing her eyes.

He hesitated for a minute, thought about apologizing. But he couldn't think of what he'd apologize for: asking to make her come or because he sounded like he didn't care at the end, when he cared more than he wanted to admit.

With that, he stood and left the room, before he could say anything else stupid.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. There's a whole lotta happily ever after in this, I promise. They just have to get there. First few gifts are coming soon! I'm a wee dram early posting; I hope you don't mind.._

Penelope woke the next morning, her face buried in her pillow. She had a hard time waking; she'd just had the most erotic dream she'd ever had in her life. It was a fantastic dream, but it starred her best friend, which probably wasn't the ideal person to have in the dream. She figured it was part of the territory; since she had a male best friend who looked like a walking fantasy, it was only natural to have dreams about said best friend.

The dream was beautiful, though. He kept telling her how he loved her, how he needed to satisfy her, and how gorgeous she was everywhere. It was really realistic; she woke happy and almost sated from it.

For a moment, she kept her face in the pillow, recalling the events of last night. She groaned, remembering sitting on Derek's lap, crying about Kevin. That wasn't so bad. It was wonderful, actually. Derek was a cuddly teddy bear who comforted her better than anyone on earth. She'd love to sit on his lap forever.

No, the bad part was that he knew. She'd told him. She'd told him the truth about Kevin and all the other men, and what was wrong with her. She'd seen the look of disbelief on his face, and then, of course, he tried to tell her it wasn't her. However, she knew better. If it was one man, she'd think it was a fluke, but five?

She rolled over and looked at her ceiling. He'd offered to make her come last night, and she'd turned him down. That would've been the most awkward thing she'd ever had happen. She'd had a crush on Derek for a long time, and she figured he knew it. Him touching her would be a dream come true. Nevertheless, she didn't need him to pity her because she was frigid, offering himself like some sort of sacrifice. She was thirty-four now; she needed to find a real boyfriend that would actually care about sex, and her satisfaction, as much as Derek did.

Good God, how she'd wanted to say yes. Just about everything in her cried for him to touch her, to make her come like a rocket and wipe away all the fears and worries she had. She couldn't do that. She couldn't do that to him, make him do something he really didn't want to do. He was a good guy, a fantastic friend, and he deserved so much better.

Hopefully, he would never mention any of what she said ever again, and all would be good.

Today was her birthday. She sat up, swung her legs over the side of her bed, and wandered into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she looked for something that made her look different, something screaming, "Hey! I'm thirty-four!" Nothing did. She looked like the same old Penelope Garcia: red hair, red lips, and currently, red, bloodshot eyes. She hated Jack Daniel's. He, and his friend Jose Cuervo, made her eyes red and puffy the next day.

She went potty, then washed her hands, her face, brushed her teeth, put on some makeup, and then got dressed to go to work. She never should've gone to the Club Room with Derek. She always ended up staying there until the wee hours of the morning, talking and laughing, playing Bonnie and Clyde. She paid for it the next day. It was seven now; she needed to be at work by eight, and she felt like hell.

Hopping in her car, she drove quickly to the BAU headquarters. She didn't have time to stop for coffee; she was too tired to step out of her car, anyway. She wished she had a drive up coffee shop nearby. Walking into the bullpen, she saw Prentiss, JJ, and Reid. They waved, and she waved back. She went into her office and saw some flowers, along with some cupcakes.

The cupcakes each said _Happy Birthday_. Those were from the team. They did that every year for her. The flowers had a note. Her heart skipped a beat, thinking they might be from Derek. He was sweet that way.

Reaching for the card, she noticed they were from Kevin. She opened the card and read: _Happy__ Birthday. I am sorry. Can we try again? K_

She looked at the flowers and stared at the card for a few moments, scowling in disbelief.

Derek came wandering in her office, carrying two cups of coffee. "Happy birthday, again, Princess."

"Thanks. You're a lifesaver," she said, accepting the coffee. Just the smell of the brew was waking her up.

He looked at the flowers, and looked at the card in her hand. "Who sent those?"

"Kevin." She took a sip, and rolled her eyes in satisfaction. It was Caramel Macchiato, with whip, her favorite. "He wants to try again."

"Really."

She looked up and noticed the black thundercloud that had settled over Derek's head. She tapped the card. "Yeah. That's exactly what it says. _Can we try again?_"

"You aren't considering it, are you?" he asked, raising a brow at her.

"Derek-"

"Kevin; the geeky bastard who can't satisfy you?" He was scowling even more.

Penelope blinked and blushed. _So much for him forgetting_.

Trying to regain her dignity, she raised her nose and said haughtily, "It's my concern, Morgan. Not yours."

"Hell, yes, it's my concern!" he snapped. "If he makes you cry, if he makes you miserable, if he dumps your ass because he's too damn stupid to make you come, then it becomes my concern."

"No, it is not!"

"Yes, it is!"

"Ah, Morgan?" Reid said from the doorway.

"What?" he snapped again, turning. He saw the rest of the BAU team standing there, holding balloons for Penelope's birthday.

"I suggest if you two need to have a private conversation, you shut the door and make it brief," Hotch said, looking none too pleased.

"No, sir," Penelope said, glaring at Derek. "We're done."

"No, Hotch," he gritted through his teeth, still glaring at Penelope. "We're not done."

"Morgan," JJ said with a warning tone. "Behave."

"One minute," he snarled, shutting the door in all their faces and turning to face Penelope. He noticed the sad look on her face and calmed down immediately.

She sighed and said softly, "Derek-"

"It would kill me if you went back to him."

Her heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"If you went back to that loser, if you even considered his offer, it would kill me." He walked close to her, putting his hands on the sides of her face. "It would kill me, because you are a beautiful, fantastic, dynamic woman who deserves a lot better than someone who doesn't care about the basics in life."

"_Basics in life_?"

"Baby Girl, that is a basic." He didn't need to explain more; she knew exactly what he was talking about. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "You deserve the best in life, someone who wants to give you everything. If you wanted the moon, he should get it for you, no questions asked. You don't deserve a selfish prick who makes you doubt yourself."

She started to smile again. "I didn't consider his offer. I didn't even _start_ to consider it."

He scowled again. "Then why'd you let me think that?"

"You jumped to that conclusion. I didn't have to lead you anywhere," she muttered. "And I don't like being told what to do. I'm a big girl, Derek Morgan."

"But you're my Baby Girl." He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Always."

She breathed deeply, held against the firm muscles of his chest. "You can't protect my heart from hurting, D. You're not going to be able to make sure whomever I am with is going to give me all of that."

He kissed the top of her head. "Well, I can try."

She sighed and let him hold her for a minute, before looking up at him. "So, where are you taking me tonight?"

"My house. I'm making you dinner."

She scowled again. "You can't cook."

Opening the door, he grinned at her. "Ah, but I do a great job ordering takeout!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_AN: Hello, everyone! Posting another one quick for tonight. As always, thank you so much for the reviews. I will respond after I get this out..._

Arriving at Derek's at exactly seven like he'd asked, Penelope took her key out and opened his door. His dog, Clooney, came charging up to her in a massive rush of dark blonde fur. He was a hyper dog for a retriever, and he became even more hyper anytime Penelope was nearby. The dog had an uncommon love for her, probably because she gave him a lot of love, attention, and treats, and took care of him when D was out of town.

"How's my boy?" she asked as the dog reared on his back legs and put his paws on the belly of her white flowered skirt. His tail was wagging so quickly, her skirt was raising, and she could feel the breeze like a fan.

"Clooney!" Derek admonished, walking over towards them. "Get down!"

The dog immediately backed down, glanced at his owner with the guiltiest look on his little dog face, and tucked his tail between his legs.

"That's better," he said, glancing at Clooney, and then quickly pulled Penelope into his arms.

"Oh, that was a little harsh," she said, giving Derek an admonishing look of her own.

"Hey," he said with a low growl and a wiggle of his expressive eyebrows, "if anyone gets to molest the guests around here, it's me."

She giggled, and he gave her a quick kiss by her ear. She raised her nose to the air, and looked at him with surprise. "Derek. That smells wonderful."

His grin was massive. "Surprise. It's not takeout."

Her skeptical look said it all.

"Serious!" he answered, making a cross on his heart. "Scout's honor. I called my momma and got her recipe for mostacolli. I started the sauce yesterday before I went shopping."

"Ooh!" she exclaimed, being reminded of his present. "What did you buy me?"

He led her to the table and pulled her chair out. "I got you two things, Miss Impatient, but you simply have to wait. Dinner first, presents after."

She pouted again, taking her seat. "Derek Morgan, you are a mean man."

"Who made you dinner, bought your favorite wine, and even rented _The Ugly __Truth_ to watch with you tonight?" He sighed. "Indeed: really, really mean."

Penelope was glad she was sitting, because she almost fainted in shock. Derek was not a cook. He burned water, for heaven's sake. He hated wine in general, being a diehard beer man. He even hated her luscious pinot noir. And he despised romantic comedies with a passion. He thought they were the worst, most predictable, cheesiest things on the planet. In six years, they'd never watched one of those.

She looked up at him. "What's for after the movie? Opera? Ballet? Reading poetry?"

He pulled the cork out of the bottle of wine, and then shot her a look. "Smart ass."

Smiling, she took a sip of the proffered glass of wine. It was light, delicious and fruity, with that hint of cherry and vanilla she loved. "This... this is so heavenly, Derek. I don't know how you can't like it."

Taking a sip from her glass, he shrugged with a smirk, "Not bad. Still like my Old Faithful better."

She looked up at the dimples in the corners of his mouth, and the little crinkles by his eyes were more pronounced. He was teasing her, like he always did. That particular beer was the worst thing she'd ever drunk. It tasted like skunk juice in a can, and caused her to shudder. She was not a beer connoisseur, but even she knew that was a shitty beer. Derek never cared when it came to beer; it seemed like he could drink anything and be okay with it.

Her heart skipped a beat. Even though it had just started, this was already one of the nicest nights she'd had in forever. He was being so sweet, so flirty, and so accommodating. She thought he was the most wonderful man on the planet. If he wasn't her best friend, she could fall head over heels in love with him. To tell the truth, she had, a few years back. About fifty women later, she realized he didn't feel the same way.

He was sweet, he was kind, he was being more romantic tonight than any other night. Unusually so. He also had a number of perfectly good girlfriends he went out with on a regular basis. So why was he doing this?

Because he still felt sorry for her. He felt sorry for her because of what Kevin had done, and what she'd told him last night. That bitter taste filled her mouth just like the beer he drank. No one wanted to be pitied on their birthday!

She needed to put an end to that, pronto. "Derek, you don't have to do all this."

He was wandering out of the kitchen with an absolutely gorgeous looking pan of cheesy goodness. Her mouth salivated just looking at it, despite the bitterness she felt.

He put it on the table and arched a brow at her. "A little late now. I already made the dish. One second," he said, dashing back to the kitchen. He came back with a loaf shaped mass of tin foil. "And I made garlic bread. Found that recipe online, and you know how much I hate computers."

Her eyes watered. He was being so damned sweet. He really did hate computers, and even typed with two fingers. She swallowed, hard.

"It's going to make kissing each other uncomfortable, all this garlic," he teased, unwrapping the bread. He winked at her again, and her heart jumped into her throat, making speech impossible.

He looked at her, this time frowning. "P, what is going on?"

She whispered in a small voice, "You don't have to do this because you pity me."

His frown increased, and he sat next to her. "What?"

"You pity me," she said, swallowing hard to get her heart to lower from her throat.

"The hell I do," he said, obviously furious. "Where would you get that idea?"

"Because Kevin dumped me."

"Oh, hell, no," he cursed. "I would _never_ pity a woman who escaped from Lynch. In fact, I consider you damn lucky not to have to deal with that weaselly bastard anymore."

"Well, my other problem, then." She'd known after she said the first thing, she was dead wrong, but she continued on anyway, in spite of her better judgment. She kind of needed to hear what he said, for her heart to knit back together again.

"Baby, that other _problem_ is so little, it's laughable. It could be easily remedied. I can prove it to you." His voice dropped an octave, and he looked over at her. "After dinner, if you so desire."

She looked at him and giggled. He was such a tease. "Thanks, but no thanks."

He grabbed a piece of garlic bread and took a big bite, then said, "Suit yourself."

A question nagged at her. "If you didn't feel sorry for me, why did you do all this?"

"All what?"

"The cooking, the pinot noir, _The Ugly Truth_?" She arched a brow at him this time. "Come on, Derek. This is so not you. It's uber girly."

"No, it's uber _you_, and I've had it planned forever," he said.

"You did not," she argued. She couldn't believe he'd gone through this much trouble, just for her.

"If you recall, I told you I started the sauce yesterday, before I went shopping." He stared at her, daring her to argue again. "That was before you told me a damn thing, woman."

She stared at him again. That was true. Her heart started beating harder in her chest again; she could feel it expanding, growing warmer while filling with love.

"Still want to know why?" he said, still grousing. "Could it be because you're my best friend? Could it be because no matter what I do with you, I have a great time? Could it be because I love you and want you to be happy with all your favorite things on your day?"

He glared at her. "No. It's because I pity you because a jackass can't make you come."

She blinked at him, and he continued to glare. She felt terrible for misjudging him like that. "I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"I love you, too, Derek." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "So much."

He brought her hand to his mouth and gave it a quick kiss. "Now we're talking."

They were quiet for a few moments, just holding each other's hand.

"Come on," he said with a sweet smirk, breaking the stillness. He handed her a piece of bread. "We got dinner to eat."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_AN: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They warm my heart so much. Building up just a wee bit more tension..._

Derek made a big bucket of popcorn and grabbed two beers- and not the hideously skunky Old Faithful, so she was happy. He handed her the bucket, sat next to her, and then reached on the side of the couch for a pretty wrapped present. He plopped it on the table in front of her.

"Oooh!" she exclaimed, putting the bucket down and grabbing it.

"There are other things I can do to get that reaction, too, you know," he teased, a flash of heat in his eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she ignored him. He was always teasing her. "Can I open it?"

She was beaming so winningly, Derek couldn't deny her. He leaned back, putting his arm on the back of the couch. "It's your birthday, baby. You do what you want."

Giggling with glee, she started to rip the packaging like a kid at Christmas time.

"This one is the more practical one for you," he murmured softly.

"Oh, Derek," she gasped. "It's… it's wonderful."

She was staring at the newest Macbook Pro in a gorgeous candy apple red color. She'd been looking at one, but she couldn't afford to get it. Just the color upgrade was more than she could afford to spend. She looked at him, absolutely speechless.

"Do you like it?" he asked with a smirk that told her he knew she did.

_Did she like it?_ That was the understatement of the year. She looked at the shiny apple on the cover, ran her fingers over it lovingly. But then she put it back in the box and put it on the table.

"Derek, I can't accept this." She began to fold the paper back on to it. "It's way, way too expensive."

"I'm not expecting you to pay for it, and I refuse to take it back." He grinned at her then. "And you know I have absolutely no use for it."

She would've giggled. He was horrible with computers. Hell, he could barely type. However, she was still in too much shock.

"It's thousands, Derek," she whispered. "I know. I've been pricing them."

"Let me treat you," he said, squeezing her hand. "I want to do it. I have the money; otherwise I wouldn't have done it."

"How?" she croaked.

"I sold a house, and I have some extra right now. Besides, I'm a thirty-seven year old confirmed bachelor. No better way to spend it than on my best girl."

She teared up again and swallowed hard. "I can't... I can't ever repay you."

"Hey," he said, putting his beer on the table. "Every day you put up with my shit, every day you're there for me, every day you make me smile when I don't think I'll ever smile again, you repay me. Besides," he paused, grinning at her, "for Christmas, I'm getting you one candy cane."

"And the Christmas after that, and the one after that, and the-"

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. "Come on, quit being ridiculous." He released her and reached for another package. "Open."

"Oh, dear God, I can't." She was still too shocked by the first gift to even move.

He scowled. "Now I'm hurt."

Glancing up at him, she knew he was teasing, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings either way. Sighing, she grabbed the box and started pulling the wrapping off of it. Inside was a little box. When she opened it, there was a slip of paper. The paper said _Good for Anything Morgan is Good For at Anytime at Anyplace. Never Expires. Multiple Use Expected._

Penelope giggled. "What is this?"

He looked at her pointedly. "This one is actually selfish on my behalf."

"Why?"

"Yesterday, you called JJ instead of me. She told me you were worried I was out with Colleen, and you didn't want to bother me. I never want you to be worried I'm out with some woman, any woman, I'd be too busy to be there." He smiled at her, cupped her cheek in his hand, and said softly, "That's my way of saying I'm there, sweetness, whenever you want me."

Penelope flung herself into his lap and hugged him, the tears coming down her face. "That's better than the Macbook."

"It was a given, Angel," he said, patting her back. "I just needed to remind you."

She leaned back, smiling at him, so pleased and happy. "Thank you."

Derek couldn't help himself. With the feeling of pure rightness, like he absolutely had to do it or he'd burst, he kissed her. Soft, sweet, right on the lips. He'd never done that before to her, but he needed to do it now. It was quick, slightly more than a peck, and very light.

Even with the brevity, an electric current ran through him, and a wash of heat rode along his nerves. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate with just that tiny touch, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The feeling to take it a step further, to deepen it, came on so strong, it felt like a physical push.

Instead, he lifted his head, and smiled back at her. She looked a little dazed, too. "You're welcome."

She climbed off of his lap, her heart pounding. It was just a brushing of their lips, but she felt stars explode and tingles rush to her fingertips. She wanted to hold him to her, make him kiss her all night. But he'd ended it quickly.

_It was a friendly peck, Penelope_, she scolded herself. _Don't read into it._

With that, she reached for the popcorn and sat back down next to him. "Let's watch."

Derek took a sip of his beer as he clicked the remote. That seemed to be an excellent idea to him, too.

* * *

About halfway through the movie, Derek had to admit the romantic comedy was not as bad as he'd thought it would be. It was predictable, somewhat cheesy, but it was funny. And it had some surprisingly hot moments in it. However, what he enjoyed the most were Penelope and her reactions.

She was laying against his side, putting the occasional piece of popcorn in his mouth, then one in her own. Every once in awhile, she would sigh, especially at a kiss or a romantic scene, like she was dreaming it was happening to her. He thought that whoever took her to the next movie on a date was a lucky SOB.

There was a dancing scene that earned a pretty big sigh from her. It was obvious she wanted to dance.

"You want to go dancing sometime, angel ?" he asked.

"Yes," she breathed dreamily, "just like that."

"I'll take you." He grinned. "I'm an awesome salsa dancer."

She shook her head. "It wouldn't be the same."

He arched a brow. "Why?"

"It would be nice to dance with someone like that, someone who wanted you, or realized they wanted you when they were dancing. See all that heat, that chemistry?" She looked up at him. "I want all that heat with someone."

He could feel chemistry right now, sitting there next to her. Obviously, she didn't feel the same thing. Still, he murmured, "We'd be awesome together, Penelope."

She scoffed. "Nonsense. I have two left feet."

"Want to try?" He took the bucket out of her hands, took her arm, and began to stand.

"Derek-"

"Come on," he said, pushing the table out of the way. He grabbed her hands, pulling her up into his arms so she crashed against his chest. "It'll be fun."

"We have no music," she whined. "And I can't figure this out."

He took the remote and reversed it to the start of the dancing scene, then hit pause. "Two things to remember: look into my eyes, and follow my hips. That's all there is to it, okay?"

"Good Lord," she said with a high amount of doubt, but he just laughed and hit play.

Placing his hands on her hips and pulling her flush to him, he began a slow sway she couldn't help but follow. He reached for her hands, putting one on his shoulder, and one on his chest, then reached for her waist. His eyes were warm, dark, and so easy to look into. She could feel herself swaying to the music, following his every movement, his every nuance.

Good God, her heart was pounding so hard, he had to feel it. She didn't want to dance with him; she was afraid he'd guess, he'd know how badly she wanted him to be hers tonight. He turned her in a spin, dipped her over his arm, and leaned over her with a sweet, sexy grin. Her heart skipped a beat.

Raising her to standing, she was panting a little and her head was spinning. It had nothing to do with the dance moves; it was all about the close proximity to Derek.

Soon, the scene was over, and the music stopped. He broke apart from her and pressed pause.

"You lied, Penelope," he murmured, his voice low and gravelly. "You're an excellent dancer."

"Thanks," she whispered quietly. She knew she wasn't. It was him. He was magnetic, terrific, and so smooth. Even someone as clumsy as she was would dance gracefully with him.

For some reason, thinking of the next woman dancing with him made her irritated. She tried to shake it off.

"You okay?" he asked with an arch of his expressive brow.

"I'm fine," she said.

They both sat quietly, then began watching the rest of the movie.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. Promise to answer later; I have to head to the zoo for a party. Wanted to get this out there before I go. So here's the final "gift"_ _of the birthday night..._

**Warning: Strong Sexual Content**

By the time the movie was done, it was time for dessert. Derek stated he didn't have anything too exciting; he'd bought a cake from a local bakery.

"I love you, but I ain't baking," he said flatly, earning him a giggle from her.

They both decided they needed some ice cream to go with it. While Derek dished two big bowls of fudge swirl, Penelope found another movie on one of his movie channels. It was one of her favorites, _The Princess Bride_.

"Derek, hurry. It's about to start."

"We've seen that a hundred times, honey," he shouted from the kitchen. "I don't need to see the beginning."

"It's not the same unless you're here."

He hurried along and brought the Reddi Whip with him. He squirted some on his ice cream, then handed it to her. She squirted some on hers, too, then grinned and shot some directly into her mouth.

He shook his head. "Crazy girl."

She giggled and sat back with her cake and ice cream. She was about to take a bite, when he stilled her hand.

"Wait," he said. Reaching into his pocket, he put a birthday candle on top of her slice and lit it. "Make a wish."

Penelope's heart started to ache. Right now, she knew exactly what she would wish for, if she believed in that sort of thing. She'd given up on wishing for certain things a long time ago, especially when it came to her hunky, promiscuous best friend. That was stupid, little girl fairytale thinking, not the thinking of a mature thirty-four-year-old.

Still, she took a breath and closed her eyes….

_I want to be with someone who makes me as happy as I am with Derek_, she thought wistfully, then blew out the candle.

"What did you wish for?"

"If I tell you, it won't come true." Then she leaned back, took a bite of her luscious cake, and paid attention to the movie.

* * *

In the middle of the movie, a pathetic old crone came out, yelling at the beautiful Princess Buttercup. She was a hideous looking woman, like a witch from an old storybook. She made Penelope jump; the hag had such a nasty sneer on her face.

Derek began to snicker.

"What?" she asked, her eyebrows knit in questioning.

He flashed a smile at her. "I was just thinking how much she looks like Elba."

Penelope snickered for a moment, too, but then became very quiet. A moment later, she whispered, "I bet even she can do it."

Derek didn't need to ask what she was talking about. He put an arm around her and squeezed. "Baby Girl, you can, too."

"No, I can't," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Derek watched the show again, not saying anything for about five minutes. They were both in deep thought.

Finally, he said softly, "This is necessary."

"What?" she asked, confused.

Derek stood. He shut the lights down, he turned the music on low, and then he sat down next to her on the couch. He shut the TV off, to her protest.

His voice was low, husky. "Come closer."

She blinked as realization dawned, then immediately blushed three shades of scarlet and started to bluster. "This is ridiculous. You can't... I can't-"

He brought his fingers up to her lips. "Shh. Enough. No more talking."

Penelope's breath caught in her throat with the warmth and the glittering blackness of his eyes. There was an intensity she'd never seen before; it was thrilling and somewhat frightening.

Before she could think any more, he trailed his fingers from her lips down lightly over her chest, past her stomach, to the edge of her skirt. He slowly started raising the hemline higher, baring her thighs.

Penelope started breathing heavier, and her eyes grew wide. "Derek, I-"

"Open your legs, Penelope," he commanded in a tone that brooked no argument, like he was used to being obeyed.

Derek touched her.

She opened her eyes as she felt him tug her skirt back over her legs. She was still breathing heavily, laying almost boneless with her legs spread.

He smiled down at her and kissed her lips again, softly. "How was it?"

She grinned sheepishly. "I kind of lost control there."

"Hush," he said, putting his fingers on her lips. He couldn't stop touching her. "You were beautiful."

Glancing back at him, she smiled. "Really?"

"Oh, hell, yes," he said throatily. "I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life."

She looked over at him, really looked, and saw the barely leashed lust in his eyes, the flush across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks. She flushed immediately again, a bright red blush of embarrassment. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable. She glanced down, but he was sitting sideways, facing her, so she couldn't tell how-

He laughed a little, putting a finger under her chin and tipping it up to look at him. "I'm fine. Trust me. It's nothing I can't take care of."

She smiled, somewhat relieved. She didn't want to think she'd put him in pain in order to orgasm. She smiled at him, then hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

Derek held her, breathing deeply of her light floral scent and the scent of sweet feminine arousal that clung to her, and sighed, knowing he'd only find release tonight thinking of her. He kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome."

"I love you, Derek," she murmured softly, kissing his cheek.

His eyes flashed at her for a moment with something she couldn't detect. It was gone before he stood and helped her to her feet. "It's late. You'd better be heading home."

**For More of this chapter, please see my profile!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews; you rock, and I hope you know it! :) They're going to figure it out; I'm a happy ever after girl!_

Penelope was in a pickle of a situation. She didn't know what to think or what to do. She was driving to work, but her mind was running faster than her car. There was so much to think about.

On the one hand, she was thrilled she was able to reach climax so easily with Derek. It took eight minutes total. Eight minutes! She'd nervously glanced at the clock before opening her thighs so he could begin his magic. A frigid woman would not be able to come in eight minutes flat. Derek was a master, who knew her body better than she did, no doubt about it, but she knew one thing: she was _definitely_ not frigid.

On the other hand, she was anxious about seeing Derek. It was stupid; Derek didn't seem any different after what happened. She still inwardly blanched. Just the thought of it, that her best friend had fondled her pussy, thrust his fingers inside her and made her come like a rocket... Good Lord! It was embarrassing to even _think_ about, much less the actuality of the situation.

But there had been something so hot in his look, something that made her want more, think she could have more, with Derek. The way he'd looked at her, the way he'd told her she was beautiful when she came apart, the way he'd treated her the whole evening; she couldn't help but wonder if he wanted something more, too.

Derek told her time and time again, even mentioned it last night, he was a confirmed bachelor. But he seemed interested, she could've sworn that he was. However, if she was wrong, it would flatten her. He was everything she wanted: kind, compassionate, caring, and sexy. Unfortunately, he was what a million other women wanted, too. He'd dated a lot of those million!

She had every right to be nervous. It would be a huge step for her, putting her heart out there for Derek again, but she knew he would be so worth it, if he only wanted her, too.

And of course, she'd dreamed about Derek again last night.

Penelope parked her car and walked into the FBI, heading towards the elevator that would lead her to the BAU floors. When the elevator doors opened, she saw her beautiful best friend leaning over Holly Johnson, smiling at the petite brunette with his ladykiller grin.

For a moment, she was knocked silent and still; she could barely breathe, much less move a muscle. Her heart started to ache.

She stopped it immediately. The truth of the situation hit her. He was her best friend. He loved her. She loved him. He'd given her a beautiful gift, and was maybe a touch turned on. Most red blooded males would get turned on if they touched _any_ woman intimately and watched her climax.

She didn't need anything else, either. It was a gift, like the Macbook and the coupon. Nothing else. He'd even sent her home; that was her proof. She should be grateful for it. Derek gave her the strength to know she could reach for more, and should, with her next boyfriend.

She blinked for a few seconds, adjusting the sinking feeling in her gut, and making it almost disappear. She needed to make this right for Derek. She couldn't let this change them. What they had was far too special to be ruined because she had a momentary lapse into fairy tale reality! She needed to be the friend he'd always known her to be.

She gave Derek and Holly a warm, bright smile. "Hi, guys!"

"Penelope," Derek said, leaning away from Holly. He gave Penelope a soft, sweet smile, and took a step towards her. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff," she said, then winked over at Holly. "I was only teasing."

Holly looked somewhat relieved. "Good to know. I was just seeing if Derek wanted to go to the movies with me."

"Sounds like fun, Hot Stuff. Hope you have a good time!" She glanced at her watch. "Damn. I need to log in to my computer. Nice talking to you both."

With that, she rushed away from them, a big smile pasted on her face.

_Nothing else._

* * *

Derek glanced at the retreating form of his best friend. Last night, he'd had one of the most incredible, erotic experiences in his life, holding her in his arms and making her orgasm. He'd been so turned on, he had to fight picking her up, holding her against the door and finishing what they'd started. But last night was not for him. He was doing it for her; she didn't need to feel obligated to do anything for him.

Not that he suffered really terribly, either. He'd gotten off last night, and again this morning, thinking about the look in her eyes, the sounds of her moans, the scent of her arousal. He wondered if he'd ever climax again without thinking of her.

And now she'd brushed him off, basically giving him the heave ho, begging him to get with clingy Holly Johnson. He'd turned the girl down numerous times a week. He was always polite to her, his momma raised him to be a gentleman, but he had no interest in her whatsoever. She was reed thin, Derek liked curves. She wasn't very bright, Derek liked intelligent women. She seemed to have little to no sense of humor, Derek liked a cute redhead that teased him to distraction and made him laugh, and made him hot, and made...

Shit.

He needed to stop thinking about Penelope in any other fashion than his best friend. They'd been through a lot together. They loved each other, they cared about each other, they were always there for each other, but damn it, they were not lovers, nor would they ever be. He'd tried. Oh yes, he'd tried in the past, and he just wasn't what she wanted. She liked to tease, and that's all it was with her.

He could spit out how much he loved her, he could hold her and kiss her, and even make her come until her legs were like fucking jello, but he couldn't be in love with her. She didn't want that. Not from him.

He needed a distraction. He might as well let it be some clingy chick, one who wanted him sexually, to take his thoughts away. After all, Penelope herself was sanctioning it.

"All right, Holly. I'll pick you up at seven."

* * *

"The office of the sun goddess. No rain in here today." Penelope thought if she made her greeting upbeat, it would change how she was feeling. It had been a few hours since she saw Derek and Holly together, and she was still rather pissy feeling.

"Hey, Baby Girl. I could use some sun."

His warm voice caused shivers to run down her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. She could've sworn she even felt more damp between her legs than before.

She wanted to slap herself. She needed to nip that in the bud, pronto. He was flirting with other women; he obviously wasn't fixated about what happened. He didn't see her as anything but good ol' Garcia, no matter how much she wanted him to think otherwise.

"Hey, Hot Stuff. Going to the movie with Holly?" Reminding herself of his newest conquest ought to do it.

"Yeah," he said flatly. "Don't want to talk about that right now."

"Why? She's so pretty and nice."

"Then _you_ go out with her," he said, his tone teasingly sarcastic.

She giggled. "No, thank you. What did you call for?"

"I had a question, but I can't remember. Now I'm only thinking fun in the sun with you, sweetness. You game?"

She was a bit wary. Spending time with Derek probably wasn't the best thing for her heart right now.

Then again, she loved going to the beach with Derek. He was a lot of fun. She usually laid in the sun and soaked up the rays with him for awhile, before he jogged on the beach, getting a million phone numbers in the process. She never knew if he called those numbers; she'd never asked.

It had never bothered her before, but this time, she had a feeling it would.

"When?" she asked, trying to nix that train of thought.

"How about Saturday? I've got to take Holly to the movie on Friday night, but Saturday has your name on it."

He sounded so hopeful, so happy, she couldn't turn him down. Derek did so much for her, he was a truly wonderful friend, he deserved her support and happiness, and he deserved her being like herself. Just because she wanted him to be more didn't mean a thing.

"Okay, you've got a deal."

"I'll pick you up at your place, okay?"

"Sounds peachy, cupcake," she said, trying to sound bubbly. "See you then!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_AN: Thanks for the reviews, they make my day! Posting now so I can sleep in for about ten minutes extra this morning (It's after midnight here!). I don't own Criminal Minds, Bad Romance, or Sexual Healing. Figured I gotta say that!_

Derek was right on time picking Penelope up for the trip to the beach. He'd been out of town for the majority of the week, and she'd missed him terribly. She'd learned that staying away from him was simply not an option. She was looking forward to this trip to the beach more than anything else on this earth.

He had his dark glasses on. He lifted them so they were resting on the top of his head, and reached for her bag by her leg. "Hey, I should've let you drive. It would've been perfect taking Esther with all this sun."

"Esther has almost three hundred thousand miles on her now. She can't handle long drives to the beach anymore." Penelope sighed with regret. For many years now, she would drive with Derek to the beach, roaring down the highway, the top down, wind blowing in her hair and the sun glinting off his bronzed skin.

Derek pouted a little. "I'm gonna miss the freedom of that convertible, Baby."

"I know," she mumured. "Me, too."

"Besides, nothing's as gorgeous as watching my girl with the sun reflecting on her shades." He gave her a winning grin. "I may have to buy a convertible now."

"We still have the motorcycle."

"With all the stuff we bring?" He gave her an incredulous look and tossed her bag into the truck. "Hell, no."

With a smile, she climbed into the truck. He was right. They always brought everything but the kitchen sink. They used to just bring themselves, but then they found out they didn't want to leave as quickly as they needed to. They loved to watch the sunset on the water, and sometimes would stay long enough to lay on the sand and count the stars.

She glanced behind herself before buckling her seatbelt. He already had everything loaded in the back of the SUV they normally had on a beach excursion: the blankets, sunscreen, portable pillows, and the cooler full of drinks.

They started on the road to the beach. It was about a two hour drive. It was a gorgeous day; upper eighties and sunny with nearly tropical humidity. Penelope was wearing her new swimsuit under her wrap and skirt. She had a two piece tankini. The top was like a tank top, black with little gold bars on the straps, and the bottom was a skirt. She thought the whole thing looked like a dress Marilyn Monroe would wear. Her hair was curling around her face becomingly, and she had big, colorful sunglasses on.

Derek was in an ancient, threadbare t-shirt that said some no longer popular brand name on it and his nearly decrepit trunks. He had the same black and yellow trunks he'd had for the past six years. Two years ago, she'd tried to talk him into a new swimsuit, but he'd adamantly refused.

"Nothing wrong with these."

"They're the same ol' boring things, Derek!" she protested. "Live a little, try something new."

"Okay. Buying a Speedo this year, then: a tiny thong one."

That shut her up. Derek already had a plentitude of attention on the beach. If he wore that, she'd have to bring a bodyguard with to shoo the women away. They were already coming in droves, and he wore rather modest trunks.

"Oh, I almost forgot." He glanced over at Penelope with a questioning look. "Do you mind if some friends of mine stop by? Belinda and Mike live up by the beach, and I haven't seen them in years."

Penelope asked, "Who are they?"

"College friends." He shot her a devilish grin. "I used to date Bel, until she realized I wasn't the marrying kind and ran off with my friend instead."

She shook her head. He was such a tease. "Are they married now?"

"Yeah, for about two years," Derek said. "They wanted to wait until Mike was out of school. He's a lawyer."

She smiled. She didn't mind having a crowd with them. She always wanted to bring the team to the beach. Especially Reid; he was too pasty and needed some sun. "More the merrier, I always say."

* * *

After they were on the road for awhile, the war for the radio started. Penelope knew it was coming. Every time they were in a car together, they battled for the best stations. Truly, she liked nearly every song that came on, whereas Derek had his favorites, but she loved to tease him and put on things that would drive him nuts.

She flipped to her channel, and started singing along, loudly, "_Roma rom ma ma, ga ga ooh laa laa, want your bad romance_."

"Oh, angel, come on, now," he said, scowling at her. "Not that damn thing. It gets stuck in my head, and I don't even like it."

"_I want your love_," she sang, leaning closer, with dramatic flair. "_Love, love, love, __I want your_ _love...oh_!"

"Will you turn it off if I pick one and sing with it?"

This was a shocker. Derek never sang. He listened, he tapped, he even boogied behind the wheel, but he didn't sing. She had to go for it. She quickly stopped singing, and then announced, "Now to the stage, Derek Morgan!"

He turned the station to his favorite rock station, shook his head, then hit the R&B channel. He listened for a second, then nodded with a wicked grin, and started singing along. "_Baby, I'm hot just like an oven, I need some lovin'. And baaaaaby, I can't hold it much longer. It's getting stronger and stronger. And when I get that feeling, I want sexual healing_..."

"Okay!" she said, turning the channel. "That one was a little suggestive, don't you think?"

"Oh, and listening to you sing about _leather studded kisses_ isn't?" he replied, arching a brow before looking back at the road. "Or _my lovely lady lumps_, or just about anything else you pick?"

She was glad he was looking back at the road, because she was blushing just a bit. "Alright, you have a point."

"Damn straight," he said, pushing the channel back. "_Baaaaaby._.."

She decided to sit back and just enjoy the sexy, albeit highly off key, song.

* * *

They arrived at the beach shortly after. Derek found what he considered a great spot, over in the corner near a big oak tree, away from the masses. When the sun moved in a half hour, it was going to be blocked by the tree. Penelope didn't argue; she decided that worked. She usually liked being smack dab in the middle, so the walk on the usually blistering sand wasn't too long, but he seemed so pleased, she couldn't burst his bubble.

Derek spread one medium-sized blanket out, then opened the cooler and grabbed a bottle of beer.

She looked at him with knit brows. "Where's mine?"

He took a sip, then passed her the bottle. "Here you go."

She shot him a skeptical look and grabbed the bottle of beer. "My blanket, D. Where's my blanket?"

"Oh, that." He looked at the blanket on the ground, then back at her. "I couldn't find both of them, so I got us one to share. We can be cozy."

"Cozy? In this humidity?"

He pulled her into his arms and gave her a squeeze.

She shoved him away and knelt on the blanket. "You're crazy! It's too hot to cuddle."

He grinned. His glasses were so dark, she couldn't see his eyes, but she had a feeling he was lying to her. She couldn't figure out why. She was rather miffed. It was a stupid thing to do. If he didn't want to search for the blankets, then-

Whatever thought she had was forgotten when he pulled his shirt over his head. It never failed. The man got half naked and completely befuddled her. He was so beautiful, even more so in the bright sunlight. She wished her sunglasses were darker so he couldn't see her staring so blatantly at his sculpted perfection. Her mouth actually salivated.

"Take it off, momma. I want to see that new suit you've been jonesing for." He pointed and gestured with his long finger for her to remove her clothes.

She pulled the shirt over her head, and was pleased to hear a slight intake of breath from him. She looked up quickly, and noticed then he was turned towards the water, looking at someone walking. No wonder he'd gasped; he was looking at some stupid swimsuit model in a red bikini.

"It's gorgeous, woman."

She stood and took off her skirt. "You aren't even looking."

He turned and lowered his glasses at her. "The hell I wasn't."

She scoffed. "You were looking at little Miss Tropicana over there."

He scowled. He was quiet for a moment, like he was debating, and then shook his head and sighed. "I'm tired of this. We need to get something out in the open."

Ignoring him, she tossed her clothes in a pile, turning away from him.

"Sit your beautiful ass down."

"No." She kicked off her flip flops. At that point, she didn't want to know what he was going to say. She just wanted to get the hell away from him. "I'm going to the water."

"Damn it," he said, grabbing her arm.

"Let me go!" she growled.

She was reflected in his glasses. Her stomach gave an ironic flip. Well, now she was sure he was looking at her.

"At least put your sunscreen on," he murmured. "You don't have to talk to me for that."

Grabbing the bottle from the bag, she stood in front of him. Using his glasses as a mirror, she put the sunscreen on her face, then turned and started on the rest.

"Hold still," he said, taking the bottle, squirting some in his hands and rubbing her shoulders and her back with it. He took his time, rubbing slowly, massaging a little.

For a moment, she just stood there, the feel of the hot sand on her feet, the even hotter feeling of his hands gliding over her shoulders, under her straps, down her arms. His touch was mesmerizing; her eyes closed and her breathing quickened. She could feel her nipples tighten, heat building between her legs.

She remembered every moment of being in his arms, every glorious minute of the beautiful gift he'd given her, and realized with swift intensity how much she wanted that feeling again. She felt him take a step closer, his chest brushing against her back as he leaned closer. His hands came around to her tummy, under her swimsuit, rubbing slowly.

She inhaled sharply, realizing afterward that he didn't need to get that area. She could reach it without any problems. She turned to look at him, and he stepped away quickly.

"I didn't see you get that spot," he said. His voice was deep, gruff, and thick. He leaned over quickly and took a sip of his beer, then said, "Doing a couple of laps."

With that, he took off with a jog through the thick sand, down the pier, and jumped into the water. She cringed; that water had to be damn cold. She started walking down the sand to the shore; she was going in gradually.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_AN: Thanks for the reviews! This is an unexpected cog in the wheel... Remember, this is just a catalyst so we can get where we need to be... Hang in there- HEA, I promise..._

_Not looking_, Derek thought moodily as he went under again to do the turn at the end of his lap. Was the woman insane? He could do nothing _but_ look, he'd loved it that much. Unfortunately, his swim trunks couldn't hide exactly how much he'd liked it. He'd had to look away before he embarrassed her and himself.

He had to stop this. It had gotten so bad that one look at her cleavage made him painfully hard, and he had to fight with himself not to drag her into his arms, throw her on the blanket, and make her come again and again and again. He dove into damn cold water to alleviate the problem this time, but that water wasn't always available!

He came numerous nights thinking about that moment, and felt like hell afterward because she didn't want the same thing from him. Some best friend he was! He couldn't stop thinking about making love to her.

He knew he needed to distance himself. He'd tried to keep his distance after she shoved Holly his way, but he'd missed her too damn much. He called, and he couldn't think of anything else except being with her again. His chest ached with the need to see her. He needed to get away, before he ended up doing something stupid.

Still, an even bigger part of himself _couldn't_ stop being with her, couldn't stop hanging around, couldn't stop begging to spend time with her. He was fucking weak, that's what he was. Near her, away from her, he dreamed about her, he thought about her. It didn't matter what distance he set.

So, he set up the beach date today. He might as well have the pleasure of her company, realize it was nothing else, and suffer close up.

_Two more laps and you're done_, he thought to himself as he continued to swim. He was in a lose-lose situation.

The first situation would be to tell her exactly what he was thinking. She'd be mortified if she knew the thoughts he was having about her. He wanted her under him, over him, in front of him. He wanted to taste every part of her, suck, lick, gently bite her. He wanted her to straddle his face. He wanted her on the beach, in the truck, against a wall. He wanted to watch her come every way a woman could come. He wanted to screw her until her legs gave out.

Then he wanted to hold her and tell her she was his for the rest of her life, like it or not.

That would be lovely. She'd run screaming, and he'd never see her again.

The other losing situation was keeping things exactly the way it was now.

_It wasn't that bad,_ he tried to tell himself. God, he loved being with her. He loved every second of it. He just had to remember she obviously didn't want a relationship with him. She hadn't before the orgasm; she'd wanted Lynch. She didn't after either, judging by her shoving Holly his way. So, being at the beach, touching her whenever he got a chance, flirting like hell with her and just being with her was going to have to do.

He wanted her to be happy, too. That mattered more than what he was thinking or feeling. Hell, he could stand anything, as long as she was happy. He loved her that damn much.

He stopped swimming and treaded water, letting it sink in.

Not that loving her mattered, either. It didn't change a Goddamned thing.

A second later, he dove deep, knowing he wouldn't be able to dive deeper than the abyss in his heart.

* * *

Penelope couldn't find Derek in the water anywhere. She knew he was far out by the buoys, doing laps, but she couldn't see his sleek body in the water. She'd swam a little, got cooled off, and then started walking towards their blanket.

"Wanna look for shells?"

Penelope turned to see a little girl, probably about seven, standing there with a bucket. She was grinning at her and had multiple missing teeth.

"Sure. I'm Penelope. What's your name?"

"Layla." She started looking at the ground again. "My mom likes Eric Clapton."

Penelope fought a giggle. The little girl looked so serious, she didn't want to laugh at her. "I can see that."

They started shuffling through the sand, finding all sorts of shell fragments, shells, and even a few live clams and snails. Layla thought those were the most fun. She wanted to take them home with her.

Penelope shook her head. "I'm not sure your mom will like those as much as she likes Eric Clapton."

"No," she said, really thinking about it. She tossed them back in the water. A second later, she asked, "What kind of name is Penelope? It's weird."

"It's Greek, baby," a tall, nice looking man with sandy brown hair said, putting his hands on Layla's shoulders. He was deliciously average looking. "I hope she's not bothering you."

"Not at all," Penelope said, smiling at him. "I'm having a great time. My friend is out swimming, so I needed someone to keep me company. To me, there's nothing better than making a new friend."

Layla beamed, her blue eyes twinkling.

"You're a remarkable woman, Penelope," Layla's dad said. "A lot of adults have a hard time with children. You have any of your own?"

"No," she commented with a shrug. "Maybe someday. You and your wife did a nice job with Layla, there. She's sweet."

"Thanks. Next week when I speak to Marcia, I'll tell her that."

"They're divorced," Layla said. "Daddy doesn't have a girlfriend, but Mommy has a boyfriend. His name is Tim, and he makes good pancakes."

Scott blushed a pleasant shade of pink. "Shh, Layla. You don't want to bore Penelope."

"No, no bother," she said, and noticed that he had the same nice blue eyes as Layla.

"I'm Scott. Merriweather." He laughed a little. "Scott Merriweather."

"I was wondering which one it was," she teased.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. He ran a hand through his hair. "I am hideously out of practice. I have no idea what to do with pretty girls anymore."

She couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "That was a good thing to do."

"It's the truth," he said. "You being pretty, that is."

She smiled. This was a very nice man.

"Would you like to come over and have a hamburger?" he asked shyly. "We have a grill, and-"

"She has lunch plans with me," Derek said, coming out from no where, tossing a wet arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side. "Come on, Baby Girl."

She stiffened and pulled away, wondering what was up with Derek. He was not usually that pushy. Derek was never pleasant to the people she dated, but he wasn't exactly rude.

She tried introductions. "Scott, this is my friend, Derek. We work together."

Scott extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Yes." Derek accepted the hand warily.

Penelope could've cried. Of all the times for Derek to play the overprotective big brother, this was the worst time. She felt warmth with Scott; a safe, good feeling, like she might have a chance for happiness with him. She had to do damage control, pronto.

"Derek, can you give me a minute?" she asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "I'll be right over."

He nodded briskly. He still seemed somewhat tense.

Maybe Scott looked like an UNSUB he'd had in the past? She couldn't figure it out. She nodded and gave him a pleading look.

"Okay." He smiled down at Layla, and shook her hand. "I forgot to say, nice to meet you, too, little lady."

The little girl blushed and leaned against her daddy's leg.

Derek walked away.

"I'm sorry," she said to Scott. "He can be terribly overprotective."

"That seems to be an understatement," he said with a incredulous smirk, staring after Derek.

"He's my best friend," she said, explaining.

"Oh, okay." Blushing, he looked back at Penelope. "Can I give you my number?"

Penelope smiled. "I'd like that."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_AN: Thanks for the warm support, everyone. Building the backstory here, please bear with me. Posting a little before midnight here, so I am a touch early...not sure if I will get to post tomorrow..._

When Penelope jogged back over to where the blanket was laid out, Derek was flat on his back with his arms folded under his head. He had a scowl on his face, she could tell under the black sunglasses he wore, it was that severe, and about five women staring in his general direction. He had an open Corona, complete with a slice of lime in the neck, and a bag of Doritos open. He popped a chip in his mouth, and still scowled up at the sun.

"Did you get sunblock on yet?" she asked, coming up and standing next to him on the blanket.

"Don't spill my beer," he growled, putting a hand out to steady the bottle.

She gave him a wary look, but couldn't tell if he had his eyes open or not. She didn't want to upset the apple cart, judging how cranky he was sounding already, so she decided to be cautious. Glancing at the blanket, she gauged the distance to lay down, opened a Corona for herself, and laid on her side, as far from him as she could.

"I don't fucking bite," he snapped. "You don't need to put yourself in China."

Penelope sat up immediately. "I am going home. I will find a ride."

"Oh, yes," he said sarcastically, "I'm sure _Scott _will take you."

A second later, Penelope figured it out. She was thunderstruck. "Derek. You're jealous."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Why, yes; yes, you are," she said, then began to giggle. "Sweetie pie, I've watched you hook up with chicks on this very beach for _six years_, and never said a damn thing. I finally get a phone number-"

"You could've had a lot more."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Please. You have more than the yellow pages, but I never got one. No one even looked."

"Oh, hell, yes, they looked. I saw them, but they didn't ask. You were taken by Lynch, that's why." He rolled over onto his stomach. "Men can tell that sort of thing."

"What?" She laughed, grabbing the sunscreen. "I had a big sign saying _No Vacancy_ flashing over my head?"

He laughed, she could see his shoulders shaking. "Yeah, kind of like that."

She smiled and squirted the lotion on his back, giggling when he jumped from the cold. "Well, for some reason, I got someone this time. He's nice, and very friendly. Cute, too. It feels... good. Really good."

"Good for you," he mumbled into the blanket.

"Quit being pissy."

"I'm no-," he began, then stopped himself. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She knew how it felt, so she didn't pick on him too much for being jealous. She rubbed the lotion over his back and shoulders. It soaked into his skin quickly, so she poured some more on. She tried to reach the other side of him, and nearly fell over onto him.

"You can sit on me. If it would be easier," he suggested.

She swung her leg over his hips and sat on the hard curve of his butt, then started rubbing the lotion up to his neck. He let out a light groan when she rocked upward to get to his neck.

"Sorry," she murmured, feeling somewhat self-conscious. "I know I'm heavy."

"You're fine."

She rubbed a little bit more, enjoying the feel of his smooth muscles, the strength evident in every rounded peak. His skin was supple, but the muscles underneath were taut, tight. It was strange; she was touching him, and yet, she could feel the tingles in her body, could feel herself warming up. She had the oddest desire to lay herself on him, rub her body against his, and just breathe. She'd never had that feeling with anyone else before.

"Are we interrupting something?"

Penelope jumped off of Derek when she heard the man's voice, and knocked over his bottle of beer. A little puddle went under his belly, making him yelp in surprise.

"Aw, baby, I told you not to do that," he said, rolling over and sitting up. He was grinning, big time, at her first and then at the man standing there. "Wentworth! It's been ten years, you're still the same. How are you doing?"

"Not as good as you, I see," Mike said, returning Derek's grin. "Getting a massage on the beach, you lucky bastard."

Derek winked at Mike and gave Penelope a hug.

"We brought the little grill, so quit noshing on the chips, Morgan," Mike stated as Belinda snatched up the bag. "You always were a chip person."

"Hey, I'm starving!" he pouted, then pulled Penelope so she was sitting in his lap. "Fine. I'll snack on something else then." He kissed the side of her neck, and then pretended to bite it, just grazing her with his teeth.

"Gonna share there, Morgan?" Mike asked as he was lighting the charcoal. "You know that's my favorite snack."

"No," he said, wrapping his arms around her middle to keep her sitting. "Been there, done that, won't do it again."

Belinda helped herself to one of the beers in the cooler, and gave one to Mike, too. They exchanged a quick kiss before she plopped down on the blanket.

"Teeny blanket, here, you two!" She scooted closer to them. "How are we all going to fit?"

"It was perfect for two," Derek muttered, lifting Penelope a little bit. She moved off his lap, and he stood. "I got a spare one in the car."

Penelope gave him an incredulous look. The man had lied to her. He had packed two blankets after all. Cozier, indeed! He was a cuddle bunny at times, liked to cuddle during movies, but on a hot day at the beach? She glared at him, but he just winked at her.

When Derek took off at a jaunt to the car, Belinda asked, "So, how long have you two known each other?"

"Six years," Pen said, drinking the last of her beer and reaching for water. "Want one?"

"No, thanks," Bel said. "Where'd you meet?"

"Work. We work together at the FBI."

"Hmm, that's not like Derek." Belinda looked down at her perfectly painted toes, crossing her slender ankles. Penelope had chipped polish on her big toes; it had been a while since she had a pedicure. She crossed her legs under herself.

She took a sip of the water, and then asked, "What do you mean by that?"

She shrugged. "Derek likes to pick up his girls where he can hunt for them. He's a hunter, lives for the chase."

Penelope couldn't argue with that one.

"And six years is a long, long time for Derek." Belinda looked at her perfect nails now, and fixed the string on her bikini. "Don't you think, Mike?"

"Oh, yeah. He used to be much worse than me. Once he catches them, he lets them go after a short time." Mike flopped a bratwurst on the grill. It made a hiss, like a snake. "Yep, that's Morgan. Love 'em, satisfy 'em, then leave 'em."

"You must be very special for him to have kept you that long."

Penelope thought for a moment. What they were saying was the truth in a lot of ways. Derek changed girlfriends like he changed underwear. Once he got his _groove thang on, _as he called it_,_ he prowled. She'd seen it so many times in six years.

"Miss me?" he asked, interrupting her thinking. He tossed the blanket at Belinda. "There you guys go."

Belinda rolled her eyes. "Such a gentleman."

After spreading out the blanket and setting up the food, they shared the meal together. There was a lot of chatting, a lot of laughing, and Penelope started liking the couple.

Nonetheless, she still thought something was off. They weren't very cozy with one another; like they tolerated each other's presence, but didn't really like each other. It was the polar opposite of her and Derek. He had mentioned ten years since he saw them; she wondered how well he still knew them.

* * *

After lunch, Mike clapped Derek on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's throw some passes in the water."

"That alright with you, sweetness?" he asked, one brow arched.

"Go ahead," Penelope said, sitting up.

He scrambled to his feet and ran off after Mike, who was nearly waist deep in water. He thew a perfect spiral pass to Mike, who dove for it and went under. A moment later, he came up from under the water with the ball. Derek ran into the water then, about knee deep.

"He really thinks you're something," Belinda said, shaking her head. "I don't know how you did it. I tried, and I couldn't keep him, but he looks like he can't get enough of you."

Penelope frowned in confusion. "Didn't you leave Derek for Mike?"

She scoffed. "No. He dumped me. We dated for three months. I wanted to get engaged someday soon, wanted to bring him home to my mother. He flat out refused."

"I'm sorry." Penelope didn't know what else to say.

"It's fine. Mike was there to pick up the pieces, and the rest is history."

P sensed it wasn't history. There was still a part of Belinda that wanted Derek. She wondered what the true story was, why he was being so protective, and decided to believe in Derek.

And she wondered why Derek was still friends with these two in the first place!

Penelope looked over at the water where Derek was. "It all turned out fine. Derek is a good man, and Mike seems nice, too."

"He is." She shrugged. "We just have our differences. You two will someday, too. It all gets old for them. Especially to players like Mike and Derek. They need adventure, change, excitement."

Before Penelope could comment on that, Belinda laid down on the blanket and removed her glasses. "Enough talk. Time to tan."

For a moment, Penelope pondered everything again, all that just happened and scoffed at herself. _Stop being stupid and remember it's just friendship._ _Nothing else._

Still, if Belinda or Mike hurt her Hot Stuff, she'd scratch their eyes out. Even though she was _just a friend._

Sighing, she laid down, flipped onto her tummy, and let the sun wash the worry away from her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_AN: Home sick today, so I am posting early. May not get to post tomorrow, but we are moving right along next chapter. This is long, but necessary..._

Penelope woke to the ever loud Mike calling from the beach.

"You awake up there?" Mike yelled. He was standing near the volleyball net, holding a ball.

"Come on, P." Derek reached for her hands and pulled her hard up into his arms. He held on for a second, then gave her a quick kiss. "Let's kick some ass."

Penelope didn't have time to ponder what had just happened. Her lips felt singed, like they were touched by wildfire. He dragged her down to where Mike was standing.

"Boys vs. Girls, and we get a five point lead," Bel said, smiling at both men.

"You get a ten point lead, and we will still wax you," Mike answered, grinning at his wife.

"You're on."

"Don't cry too loudly when we beat you," Penelope teased.

Derek reached and patted her bottom. "You'll know who your daddy is after this game."

She rolled her eyes and hurried under the net.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a close game at all. The ten point lead was easily met by Mike, who was a great volleyball player, and Derek, who was simply athletic and graceful, and therefore, good at most sports. Penelope wasn't a bad player; she was much better than Belinda, but she couldn't spike it over the net due to lack of height.

However, the boys were starting to irritate her. They danced and bumped chests. It was hideously immature. To top it off, her own competitive nature was intensifying the problem, and Bel was a horrible player. She would bump the ball upward so Belinda could hit it over, and Belinda hit it out of bounds every time.

Penelope was grousing and was glad when they put her our of her misery.

"Okay," Derek said, looping his arm around Penelope's shoulder. "Couples now."

"Yep. Me and Penelope, you and Bel," Mike said, dragging Penelope over to his side and looping his arm around her shoulder. He looked down at her and said in a low voice, "Hiya, gorgeous."

Derek looked peeved, and Penelope giggled. Served him right for beating her! She smiled up at Mike. "Hiya, handsome."

Mike gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and said, "Come on, sweetheart. Let's show them who's boss."

This game was much more evenly matched. Derek was pissed, so he was playing with even more steam, making up for Belinda's inadequacies. It was a tight match. Derek served a power serve right at Mike's feet. Mike dove backwards, knocking the ball up and scrambling to his feet. Pen set the ball by the net, and Mike drove the ball directly at Derek. The ball was just out of Derek's reach, even with diving after it.

"Aha!" Penelope gloated. "Who's your momma, Morgan?"

"Whoo hoo, woman!" Mike cried, stomping his feet and dancing. "Chest bump!"

Penelope arched her chest and bumped with the silly man. He picked her up and turned with her, making her giggle. "Stop! Mike!"

"You little spitfire!" Sliding her down his body, he hugged her to him. He kissed her lips this time.

Originally, Penelope didn't think much of the kiss. She thought it was a friendly gesture. Instead, it completely floored her. This was no little kiss. He even tried to stick his tongue past her closed lips.

In a heartbeat, Derek was there. He squeezed Mike's shoulder, rather painfully, judging by Mike's wince. "Let her go. Now."

"Hey, it was just a celebration kiss," Mike explained. "We used to do it all the time with our girls."

"That was ten years ago. Things have changed."

"It didn't mean anything." Mike sneered at Derek, "Lighten up, Morgan."

"Not this time." Derek's eyes were flashing fire. He looked ready to commit murder.

Mike and Derek glared at each other, then Mike backed down.

"This is damned awkward." Mike scoffed, "Some people don't know how to take a joke."

Penelope stayed wisely silent.

"Come on, Belinda; let's go." Mike was gathering his stuff already, and heading towards their luxury car.

"Derek, can I talk to you?" Belinda motioned for him to head over by the trees.

"Sure." He glanced at P. "Back in a flash?"

"Go ahead." Penelope felt terribly sorry for Belinda. She wasn't even dating Derek, but if he'd done what Mike did, it would've hurt. She imagined Belinda was heartbroken.

Derek jogged over and spent a moment with Belinda, who handed him something from her bikini top. He shook his head, but she leaned up and kissed his cheek anyway. Then she looked at Penelope, looked at Derek with regret, and went off the beach to her waiting husband and the Lexus.

Penelope was confused, and her head hurt. The day had certainly ended on a sour note. Now, the sun was setting, and it was getting chilly.

"I suppose we should go, too," she said, wandering over to Derek.

He reached for her and wrapped her in his arms. His warmth felt good on her rapidly chilling arms and back. "Just a little while longer, okay?"

She nodded. Now that Mike and Bel were gone, she thought it would be good to be with Derek alone and make things happy again.

He kissed the top of her head. "We need to talk about everything. About Belinda and Mike."

Taking a deep breath and letting out a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold, she nodded.

"One moment," he said, jaunting off towards the car again. He came back with a sweatshirt, an old one from the FBI training center. He pulled the sweatshirt over her head, then pulled on his t-shirt. He squatted down, smoothing out the surface of the blanket they had, then lay down.

"Come on," he said, extending his arm.

This time, she lay on his arm without any hesitation. They were quiet for a moment; she was on her side, he was on his back. She was tucked in the curve of his arm, and he was rubbing her hip. They didn't say a thing. Instead, they relaxed and enjoyed being with each other.

Finally, she spoke. "Derek, what was wrong with those two? And why the hell are you still friends with them?"

Derek let out a short bark of laughter. "History and stupidity. I was friends, really good friends, with Mike for a long time. Then Bel left me for him because of what he said. Now he's cheating on her. I guess what comes around, goes around."

Penelope looked up at him and frowned. "I thought you said she left you because you weren't the marrying kind."

He grinned down at her. "Not many twenty-somethings are the _marrying kind_."

"That's true for some. However, I still want to know what is going on."

"It's a long story; are you sure you want to hear it? Ouch!" He rubbed the side she'd just pinched with a laugh. "Okay, I guess so."

"Talk, Morgan."

"Belinda and I dated for about three months. We all hung out together. She wanted me to meet her mom, and then get engaged and get married. I was honest; I told her not yet, but give me some time." He sighed and shrugged. "Mike told her I wanted to get with other girls, and that was why I didn't want to be meet her mom."

"How'd she end up with Mike?"

He patted her back, rubbing in slow circles. It was like touching her calmed him down. "We were both players, both had a hell of a good time together. And we'd go for the same girls a lot, with equal results. Bel was a big point for him. We didn't talk after that. It was low; we were official, so it was against the bro code. She really believed I wanted to date others, that's what she said."

He shrugged. "She apologized. I forgave her, but it didn't really matter. Losing my friend was worse than losing her."

Penelope was quiet. Friendship meant everything to Derek; no wonder it hurt. Then she asked the other question on her mind. "Did you want to date others?"

"No. I mentioned other girls, like all stupid college guys do." He grinned. "Kind of like teasing with Reid, saying some woman is hot."

She scoffed. "You mean that crap, Morgan."

"Yeah, but how many of those women do I get together with?" He rolled on his side to look at her. "Very, very few."

"So she believed Mike and didn't believe you," she said, guessing the rest of the story.

"Yep. And now she sees the error of her ways."

"And despite it all, you still wanted to be friends."

He took a deep breath. "He called, said they were married and very happy. He was like the brother I never had in college. I wanted to give him a chance, let bygones be bygones."

She patted his cheek, the warmth she felt for him radiating throughout her body. "You're a good man, Derek Morgan."

"The past is the past, and I'm no saint, either. I'm not innocent in this." He leaned over and gave her a little kiss. "But thanks for believing in me, anyway, sweetheart."

She looked over at him again, her mouth tingling from that little kiss, wishing he'd do that again. He must've read what she wanted in her eyes, because he leaned over, brushed his lips against hers again, so softly, feather light. Penelope closed her eyes, let the soft touches, the gentle exploration, happen. She brushed her lips against his, too, feeling the dry warmth, the soft yet firm surface. Her fingertips curled into his worn t-shirt, and she felt his hands press her just a bit closer.

Penelope felt the heat stir in her again, and with the heat came the aching and the wanting. Derek was looking at her, looking like he was fighting something. A moment later, he went to move away, but not before she felt the brushing of his body against her hip.

Sitting up, he gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry, sweetness. I got carried a-"

Derek's speech ended, and he closed his eyes as Penelope reached down and gripped him through his trunks. He shuddered visibly, before gripping her wrist, halting her. "What the hell?"

"Derek," she said softly, squeezing a bit more and causing him to gasp a quick intake of breath. "You gave me a beautiful gift the other night. You didn't expect anything from me or need anything else. It was wonderful. Let me return the favor, no questions asked."

"Baby, no. You don't-"

"Please."

Penelope touched him.

"Baby Girl, I-"

"No words, Derek," she said softly. "A gift. Just like you gave me."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Penelope, my _gift_ was nothing compared to that."

"It wasn't _nothing_ to me," she said. "Now hush."

He just held her then, quietly. The sand was warm and soft beneath them, the breeze cool and light. The sunset was a brilliant wash of purples, pinks, oranges, and blues across the sky. He leaned down, gave her a kiss on the top of her head, and rested.

**For More of this chapter, please see my profile!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_AN: Thank you for the reviews. Still sick, so I am behind on answering: sorry about that! Will get to them soon... As for the story...Aha! I think this is the moment..._

At a decent Italian restaurant in Quantico, Penelope sat across from Scott, enjoying her meal. This was the second date in the two weeks since she met him. He was a genuinely good guy, rather funny and nice. He had warm blue eyes, a nice laugh, and general good looks. There was nothing to dislike about Scott.

Still, Penelope couldn't help her mind from wandering.

She thought about eating with Derek. She would reach across from where she was sitting and nab a mushroom off of his linguine without having to ask. They'd laugh so loudly, other people would turn and look at them. They wouldn't care; they'd simply have a good time, which was all that mattered. Then when she would be about half done with her meal, Derek would arch a brow and ask, "You gonna eat that?," take her plate and finish it.

Derek would've shot her hot looks, too. He'd tease, looking at her lips when she'd eat something like a bread stick and groan. It made her feel tingly and hot when he did it. He'd hold her when she needed it, so touchy feely, putting an arm around her shoulder, brushing kisses. He had a way of making her feel like she belonged to him, and for that short period of time, when they were together at a restaurant, she did.

Looking at Scott, so polite, so formal, it just wasn't the same.

It was strange. She wasn't thinking of Kevin and how he used to be with dates. She _should _be comparing Scott, who was miles better, to Kevin. Scott would win hands down.

Instead, she thought of Derek.

She couldn't stop thinking about how he looked, hot, sexy, and delicious, on the beach that night. She couldn't stop remembering his eyes, his groans when she touched him, his taste. She couldn't stop thinking of how much she wanted to touch him and taste him again.

Not Derek, however. He'd stayed away, barely saw her, and didn't answer her calls, so he obviously wasn't thinking about it like she was. He was probably embarrassed, which she understood. She still couldn't believe what she did. Still, his lack of contact hurt.

She felt like kicking herself. This was ridiculous. Scott was nice. He was funny and friendly. And Derek wasn't hers. He was her best friend, not her boyfriend.

No matter how much she wanted him to be.

"Penelope, are you okay?" Scott asked, concern on his pleasant face. "You went very pale there."

Was she okay? She just realized she was in love with her best friend, and she knew he didn't feel the same way.

Penelope swallowed. "Yes," she lied,"I'm fine."

After they left the restaurant, Scott drove her home. As he walked her to the door, he said, "Penelope, I'd like to kiss you goodnight."

She hesitated, knowing her heart wasn't in it. She chastised herself; this was for the best. "Okay."

He leaned forward, wrapping her in his arms gently, and placed his lips on hers. Scott was a good kisser, but there was a noticeable lack of heat.

When he parted from her, he said, "See you next week?"

"Sure."

* * *

Derek tried his damnedest to not let anything that happened between himself and Penelope effect their friendship. He tried to see her the next day at BAU headquarters after her gift, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't stop thinking about the softness of her hands, the heat in her eyes, the feel of her mouth. He couldn't stop thinking about how his heart felt when she was near. He couldn't stop dreaming about making love to her.

He wanted so badly to make love to her.

In his heart, Derek knew making love to Penelope would be precisely that, the act of love. Because he couldn't stop his heart from loving her, any more than he could stop his lungs from breathing.

He managed to stay away for two weeks. He'd talked, briefly, at work, but that was about it. She'd called his home and left a few messages, however, he didn't return them. He couldn't. If he called her, he'd beg to see her. If he saw her, he'd beg to be in her bed. That simply wouldn't do. She didn't want those ramifications from her gift to him; she'd stated that clearly.

Although Derek had to admit to himself that his reasons were not entirely noble. He stayed away for selfish reasons, too. He couldn't see her and put himself through agony. He needed time to get this feeling of unrestrained lust and remarkable, overwhelming, _unbelievable_ love out of his head.

So, when he finally did walk into her office, he was rather sheepish. "Hey, baby."

Penelope turned in her chair to see Derek walk in. "Hi, Hot Stuff. Where've you been?"

"Oh, really busy," he said calmly. It wasn't a lie. He was busy, trying not to think of her. "Want to go to the beach again Saturday?"

It was a stupid thing to ask; he shouldn't be alone with her again, but he couldn't stop his mouth from talking.

She shook her head regretfully. "Sorry, sweetness. I'm going out with Scott."

Derek turned a chair around and straddled it, looking at her with an arched brow. "When did that happen?"

She smiled. "We went out for the first time a week after we came back from the beach. He's very nice, cupcake."

"How many dates have you had?" he questioned. "Is this the second one?"

She rolled her eyes. Always the overprotective big brother. "Third, actually."

Derek frowned. "Why?"

She gave him an odd look. "That's a stupid question."

Derek tried to calm his racing pulse, tried to keep his eyes level with hers, but panic was ensuing. He didn't think of the ramifications of what it would feel like for her to have another man when he thought of everything else. It was all too fresh. He'd been through this feeling, this sinking, horrible feeling, with her before, and it almost killed him.

"I want to know what makes ol' Scotty boy so special he merits more than one date with my best friend." Derek couldn't control the snippiness and snideness of his voice.

"He's good to me. He's nice. Kind. Soft spoken. Agreeable." She shrugged. "He's easy to be with."

"You had that once before, P," he remarked with a scowl. "A wimp."

She scoffed. "He's not the same as Kevin, Derek."

"Bullshit," he snapped. That unpleasant feeling, he realized with the rising of bile in his throat, was jealousy. He'd never been jealous of anyone a day in his life, but he was positively green with it now. "Some wussy man you can push around. He's completely wrong for you, just like stinking Lynch was. You need something else to make you happy. Quit settling. It didn't work last time, why will it now?"

He knew he was far, far too aggressive, but he couldn't stop the flow of words.

"Really, huh? You're that sure?" she asked just as angrily, watching him nod. "Then what does work for me? What is going to make me happy?"

Derek stared at her, his scowl deepening. He'd backed himself into a corner, when deep down, he wanted to scream, _Me, damn you! It's always been me! _

She narrowed her eyes. "Just like I thought. You don't know, either."

"Penelope-"

"I'm happy with him, Derek! He really wants me!" she snapped back, looking truly miserable. "I like him, and I need to be supported. I need to be _wanted_ right now."

Derek felt his gut clench. Was he too late again?

"Just be happy for me." She turned back to her computer before he saw the tears in her eyes. "I got work to do."

Derek left, thinking about what she said.

_Just be happy for me_.

He didn't think he could do that this time.

* * *

That Saturday, Penelope was walking with Scott to her car in the parking lot at yet another restaurant. Scott liked to take her out to dinner; he was nice, but predictable. No running off to places at the spur of the moment like she did with Derek.

Penelope groaned at thinking of Derek again. She was trying her best to give Scott a chance, trying her damnedest to fall in love with him. He was a good man, and he seemed to really be interested in her.

Driving to her place, Scott was chatty, talking about Layla, about his ex, about his work. He was much more comfortable with her now, but it felt more like the comfort of a friend, not the comfort of a relationship. She felt less passion with him the longer she spent with him. She'd like to be his pal, exchange recipes with him, but there was no zing.

It was horribly ironic, really. She wanted more passion with her best friend, and to be a pal with her boyfriend.

Walking her to her door, he smiled. "Can I kiss you again, Penelope?"

She nodded, and he pulled her into his arms, giving her a bit of a stronger kiss than before. This one was quite pleasant, very nice. Just about everything with Scott was nice. He looked nice, he acted nice, he was nice. He would be a fantastic boyfriend for someone- but not her. Derek, the ass, was completely right.

Him, again. Her heart was occupied by that proverbial bad boy.

She shook her head, feeling even more stupid than before. Everyone knew you didn't pick the bad boy to fall in love with. That only worked in movies and TV. She was equally pissed at him. He acted like he had a say so in whom she dated, but he didn't return her calls for two weeks and barely talked to her.

Unfortunately, that didn't decrease the fact that she wanted him, or that even arguing with him had been the highlight of her last two weeks.

Scott pulled away from her, giving her one more little kiss. Then he said, "I'll call you, and we'll work out another plan to get together."

"Okay," she said, knowing it was never going to happen. She was going to call it off with him, it just wasn't fair.

She put her key in her door and let herself in. She made it to her apartment and opened the door, then jumped in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"You know, that was the most anemic kiss I've ever seen, Baby Girl," he said, ignoring her question. He began walking towards her. "You deserve better than that."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_AN: Hi all! I am out and about today and tomorrow, so I won't be posting tomorrow. Will try to post twice today, but I don't know if I will get there. Thank you so much for the reviews..._

Penelope scowled at him. He was watching her with Scott? That irritated her, because she knew Derek was too experienced not to notice her lack of ardor. Damn him! It was his fault she didn't feel anything for Scott. How could she feel for another man when she wanted him so badly?

Still, she challenged him with haughty arrogance. "Yeah, really?"

"Hell, yes, woman, and you know it," he spat, approaching so quickly, she took a step backward from him, until she was standing against the door.

"What was wrong with it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What _wasn't _wrong with it?" He kept approaching until he was so close, his toes touched hers.

She tipped her chin. "I happen to like-"

"You want to know what was wrong?" he linterrupted, leaning forward, his nose an inch from hers, so close their breaths mingled.

She didn't back down; she couldn't. "Yes."

"Everything. He asked permission like a pansy. He barely touched you, and you are made for touching. Damn, I have no idea how he couldn't touch you." Derek brought a finger up and trailed it down her cheek, then he continued huskily, "And he didn't look like he wanted to kiss you more than anything on earth…."

His voice trailed away as he stared at her lips. Looking at him, she thought that was exactly what he looked like, like he'd die if he didn't kiss her. Penelope's heart started to beat stronger and her breathing quickened.

"But do you want to know the biggest problem?" he said, finally leaning against her and pressing her against the door.

She gave a barely perceptible nod.

"It was him kissing you instead of me."

He thrust his fingers into her hair, capturing her head in his hands and drew her closer to his body. He watched as her eyes widened in shock, then darkened, and her lips parted. A sure sign of passion; Derek felt like giving a shout of triumph. His control completely snapped and he pressed his lips against hers in a rush.

Taking complete command, he slanted his mouth across hers, a far cry from the earlier pecks they gave each other. He devoured her, like he was starving, and she was the only sustenance around. It was true; he'd been hungering for her for years now. He might as well show it.

Hot swirling tendrils of passion licked inside her body, like flames. An absolute explosion of passion washed over her. It was so unlike kissing Scott, Kevin... anyone else. She felt as if she was being consumed, and it was a glorious feeling.

The pressure increased, coaxing her mouth open for the thrust of his tongue. He tasted slightly minty, along with something so sweet, so spicy, and so addicting. She arched against him, opening her mouth, allowing deeper penetration. She followed his tongue with her own, stroking against his with driving need. Each touch increased the hunger, the want she was feeling.

Derek kissed many women in his life, but none ever compared with Penelope. She was so sweet, so soft, so giving in her responses to him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she was shivering with feeling; he brought his hands down to stroke her with soothing touches.

He was amazed at the greed he had for her kisses. There was such heat; it was impossible to escape the fire that was building between them. Derek felt the surge of lust roll over him, along with the conflicting emotion of tenderness. He was crushing his mouth down on hers with savage hunger, at the same time, he was touching her face with feather light touches. He was so aware of what he had, aware of the woman in his arms, the woman he loved, and he didn't want to hurt her.

He lifted his head, and said, "Baby Girl, I-"

He wasn't able to continue. Penelope rose on her tiptoes and captured his lips again. She held on, arching against him with pure unleashed desire. It was more than Derek had ever hoped or dreamed, all coming true.

"I...want you," she murmured against his lips. She was positively boiling; she'd never felt this much heat in her life.

"I want you, too," he said, kissing her in between words. Then he held her face in his hands, resting his forehead on hers. "I've always wanted you."

She looked up at him and caught his eyes. The depth of feeling was unmistakable. Derek scooped her up in his arms and carried her across the room to the beaded curtain that served as a door to her bedroom. The little tinkles of the beads were musical as he carried her through and laid her on the bed.

"It's destiny. This is meant to be, Penelope."

It was exactly the wrong thing to say. It did something for Penelope she didn't want to happen: it made her think. Derek was removing his shirt, revealing his fantastic pecs and rippled abs, causing another momentary loss of thinking for her, but her mind started working again, thinking over those words.

Slowly, he moved over her on the bed, bracing himself on his hands, the curve of his biceps flexing, and started kissing her neck.

She tilted her head to the side, allowing him better access, but said what she was thinking. "Derek?"

"What, sweet... Oh, damn, you smell good!"

She smiled to herself. He was so into it, he couldn't complete a thought! For a second, she let her hands trail over his ribcage, the curve of his waist, and then realized she still needed answers. She couldn't do this without answers. It mattered too much to her."Why?"

That gave him pause. He raised his head and looked at her. "What?"

"Why now?" she asked. "Meant to be, now."

He gave her a quizzical look.

She sighed. "I mean, you said, 'This is meant to be.' Why now? Why not all those years I was with Kevin? Why now, all of a sudden?"

Derek almost groaned in frustration; he wanted her so badly, he felt like he was going to burst at any moment. He looked at her. Her face was turned away from his, her bottom lip out slightly in a pout. She looked filled with doubt, but it wasn't doubt in how she felt about him. She wanted him; his lower body resting against hers could feel the heat between her legs. It was what he'd _said_ that caused her confusion. He needed to change that thinking immediately.

"Listen, baby," he said in a soft, clear voice. He moved to her side, bringing his hand to her cheek, making her face him. "I have always wanted you. Always. For every year I have known you, you have occupied my thoughts. There is no _all of a sudden _for me."

She started to smile, but her eyes were still a bit wary and skeptical. "But why did you do something now?"

"Fear."

She scowled at him. "What do you mean, fear?"

"Fear that I would lose you for good this time." He sighed, and shook his head in self disgust. "When it comes to you, I have always had an incredible amount of fear. I'm a strong man, a controlling man. I always, always take what I want. But losing you, losing what I had with you because I did something stupid and acted on my urges… I couldn't risk it."

Penelope's heart was beating so strongly in her chest, she was certain he could hear it. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It sounded incredible, far too good to be true. Her head was spinning with the implications of his words. She felt faint, like a woman in an old romantic movie, and she _never_ fainted.

"I sat back and watched you with Lynch, knowing he was the wrong man, and hoping you'd know it, too. But then... I couldn't see you with another man." He leaned down to kiss her lightly, then whispered, "Not this time, not again."

All the wariness left her eyes, and they widened as recognition replaced that emotion. A moment later, tears filled her eyes, "Oh, Derek."

"I love you, Penelope," he murmured softly, his thumb stroking her lower lip. "I have loved you for a long, long time. I know I told you before, but I want to keep on telling you, and showing you, every day of my life."

She leaned up and kissed him. Her eyes were twinkling behind the moisture present. "I'm going to expect that, now, you know."

He gave her a slow, sexy smile, one that caused tingles to run up and down her spine, and her nipples to tighten in anticipation. He braced himself over her again, leaned down, and growled in her ear, "Well, now's a good time to start..."

And with that, the magic began again...


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! Just a reminder that I can't post tomorrow; sorry about that! Although it is the THIRD of July, I am heading out for fireworks (My town has both nights!)... thought I would post some, too! (Hee hee, I couldn't resist- it was the perfect setup!)_

Derek kissed her again, devastatingly thorough and commandingly, unlike she'd been kissed in the past. He had a way of kissing her that made her throb from head to toe. She wanted to keep kissing him forever, but he seemed to have other plans. He arched his back, pressing himself against her intimately, before drawing back and kneeling between her legs, taking her up to a seated position with him.

"I need to see you," he said gruffly, reaching for the hemline of her shirt. He tugged it over her head...

They made love.

"Still think you have a problem?" he asked, a smug snicker behind the words.

She pinched his side, but gently. "Yes, I did."

He frowned.

Taking all the strength she had left, she raised up on her elbow to look at him. "I was with the wrong men all my life. I'm not now."

He pulled her into his arms again, so she was resting on his heart, then kissed the top of her head. "Damn straight."

her head, and rested.

**For More of this chapter, please see my profile!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_AN: Sorry for the wait, everyone. Real life has been crazy. Back to work is taking up all my free time- I can't tell if I am coming or going. Thanks for the reviews and your patience! Love, Kricket..._

Penelope didn't think she could be happier. She fell into a wonderful routine with Derek for the rest of the weekend, becoming a full-fledged girlfriend. She thought he might want to take it slow, acclimate and get used to dating, not being just friends. She was completely wrong. He was mushy, loved being with her, loved making love to her, loved _her_ in general.

There was no keeping it a secret from anyone, either. Monday at the BAU, Derek was walking her to her office, holding her hand.

"I need this to keep me going," he said, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her until her knees were weak.

"Derek," she murmured, her lips still against his. She didn't want to stop, but she knew they had to.

He continued to give her little nipping kisses, saying, "One more, then I'll go."

That _one more _lasted a long, long time. When he finally did stop kissing her, they had a little crowd. JJ, Reid, and Rossi were standing there, each with a different look on their faces. JJ looked pleased, Reid looked confused, and Rossi looked amused.

"It's two minutes to nine," Derek said, still holding Penelope in his arms. "We're not on the clock yet."

"Actually, my watch says precisely nine."

"Remind me to reroute your bank account to Antarctica, Reid," Garcia said, glaring at the young genius.

Rossi snickered, looking specifically at Derek. "Why let the clock stop you? Never did me…" With that, he turned and left.

JJ just continued to smile. "I have dibs on lunch, Garcie."

Pen nodded, knowing she'd have to explain to both Emily and JJ exactly what was going on. She'd leave out some of the _gory details_, as Prentiss called sex, even though she knew they'd beg to know about that, too. Some things just needed to stay private. She knew she glowed with happiness, so they'd guess anyway. And Derek had a rep for being an outstanding lover; Penelope knew now that it was absolutely true.

"See you later, baby," he said, touching her cheek softly before letting her go.

"What do you want for dinner?" she asked. They'd been together nonstop for the past three days; she knew they'd be eating together as usual.

"Chick- oh, shit," he groaned, shaking his head. "I forgot. I have a baseball game tonight."

Penelope knew Derek played for a community league. He was a utility player; he played all over the field. She'd never been to one of his games. Sitting in the hot sun on a work night with a bunch of jocks had never sounded like much fun to her.

"I gotta go out early, but the game starts at seven at Vet's Field. You're coming, right?" he asked, giving her a winning grin.

She sighed. There was no way in hell she could say no when he looked like that. "Sure."

* * *

Vet's Field was old, but well kept. There were ten diamonds, each with games happening on them. Bleacher seats flanked each diamond on the left and the right. On the wire backstops of each field, there was a number; Derek's field was number eight. She was currently standing next to field three.

Tons of teams in colorful uniforms were practicing. She saw a few people sitting on blankets on the ground, and a few strollers. She heard a lot of cheering and clapping; a few games must've been in progress. There were some teams that were co-ed, but Derek's team was all male.

Very aggressive, too, according to Derek. "We're fast pitch, and we take no prisoners."

"Hey, gorgeous!"

Penelope turned to see Mike Wentworth, Derek's _friend_ from the beach. He was in a dark blue shirt with the number seven on it, and white pants with a dark blue stripe on the side. He took off his baseball cap and ran his hand through his thick blond hair.

"Hey," she said, raising her sunglasses. She didn't know what else to say; she didn't want to cause a scene.

"Did you know," he drawled slowly, "my team is playing Morgan's tonight? You coming to watch?"

She tried to step away, but he was quicker, jumping in front of her. She had to hand it to him; if he was anything, he was high energy.

"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened at the beach. I'm going to apologize to Derek, too." He lacked any sincerity in his voice. "Bel will be there. Maybe you can sit by her?"

Penelope held in her response at hearing Belinda's name. They were still a couple? Derek made it sound like Belinda was going to dump Mike's cheating butt. She didn't want to get involved in that soap opera, and she didn't want anything to do with Mike.

He must've sensed her hesitancy, because he reached for her quickly. "C'mon, P. Don't be like that..."

Twisting away from him, she snapped, "Mike, please!"

He grinned at her, a rather lecherous grin. "That's what I want to hear from you later, momma…"

She paled, then turned and started walking quickly towards field eight.

He gave a short bark of laughter. "Hey! I was just kidding. Scout's honor."

Somehow, she highly doubted he'd been a boy scout. She continued walking, looking for Derek. When she got to the field, Derek was standing, holding Belinda in his arms, his hands low on her back, patting her. She had her arms around him, too, and she was looking up at him, with no small amount of hero worship. She raised on her toes, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

Amazingly, she wasn't at all upset. She trusted Derek, she believed in him, and believed in his love for her. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew he'd tell her.

"See, honey?" Mike whispered in her ear, stepping behind her and bringing his arms around her waist to pull her close to him. "Morgan and I have always shared."

Penelope had enough of this pervert. Jabbing her elbow in his gut, she turned and glared at him. The whoosh of air he exhaled pleased her. "I've had it with you! You're not sharing me, not now, not ever. Touch me again, and I will find a knife, and what Lorena Bobbitt did will seem _tame_!"

Mike rubbed his gut, scowling at her. Then he spoke with barely leashed menace in his voice, "Just remember, you little bitch: I get even."

"She's not," another, much more friendly voice said. She turned to see Scott Merriweather standing there. He was wearing the same navy uniform that Mike was wearing, and he was frowning at Mike. " A little bitch, that is. She's a very nice girl, Wentworth. I think you should let her be."

"Another admirer?" Mike sneered.

Penelope turned pink with discomfort, and Mike snickered unpleasantly.

"Leave her alone, Wenworth," Scott growled, glaring at the blonde weasel.

"Don't worry... she's all yours," he said, slamming his hat back on his head and jogging out on the field.

* * *

Grumbling to himself and absolutely stewing, Mike jogged back to the field. He saw Derek cleaning the dirt out of his cleats. He didn't seem to notice his _lady love _standing over there. Mike was still rather pissed about how angry Morgan was when he made a move on Penelope at the beach. He didn't see what the big deal was with the woman. She must have a gold star pussy to get so many men ready to jump for her.

Well, he wasn't going to be one of those on her string, regardless of the obvious fact that Merriweather and Morgan both wanted her.

Suddenly, an idea hit Mike that would pay all three of them back in spades. He started to jog over to Morgan's dugout. "Hey, Morgan!"

Derek looked up to glance at him with a half smile that left pretty soon after he saw Mike's face. "Wentworth."

"I know I am the last person you want to hear from, but I have to tell you." Mike did his best to hide his glee and look concerned. "It's about Penelope and a teammate of mine..."

* * *

"Penelope," Scott said, sounding completely curious but without anger. "You didn't call me. Are you okay?"

Penelope gulped. In her passionate, wild bliss she had with Derek, she forgot completely about Scott. "Scott, I'm so sorry."

"I thought we were getting along well."

"We were," she said, feeling horrible. She knew she looked as upset as she felt.

Scott looked down at his feet and shuffled a bit. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No," she said quickly. She needed to tell him that her heart was never really available, and that was a hard thing to do. "It's not you, Scott. It's me."

Scott put his hands on her shoulders rather fervently, frowning in concern. "What happened?"

"_I_ happened, you son of a bitch," Derek growled from behind her. He shoved Scott, hard. "Get your hands off of her, or I will kick your ass."

"Derek!" Penelope exclaimed. What on earth was Derek thinking? "Scott, I'm-"

Scott immediately raised his hands and took a step back. "I didn't ... Look, I'm sorry, but..."

Derek took Penelope's arm and thrust her behind him. "I don't know who the fuck you think you are! I'm going to tear you apart." There was no doubt about Derek's threat. He was furious.

Scott, smart man that he was, stepped farther back from Derek, looking as confused as Penelope felt. "Listen, I just stepped in because-"

"Derek, please!" Penelope said, grabbing his arm.

"Yeah, you _stepped in_, you bastard! Wentworth told me what you did, and-"

Realization dawned on her, and she turned to look at a smirking Mike. Derek was still approaching Scott, saying some pretty horrible things. Scott, who looked like he was going to either urinate on himself or pass out, was backing up and nearly was going to run into the bleachers.

Cursing under her breath, she took a look at the very determined Derek. He was going to hurt Scott if she didn't stop him. Taking a running leap, she jumped on his back, knocking him flat on his stomach.

Scott quickly took off running in the opposite direction.

When Derek turned back over, he was looking at her, his face a dark thundercloud of irritation. His white pants and black t-shirt were coated in red dust from the field.

"Woman," he gritted through his teeth, "I know you want peace, but I will be damned if a man calls you a whore and grabs your ass and-"

"Derek, he didn't do that."

Derek frowned. "What do you mean? Mike said-"

She waited patiently, and watched as realization hit Derek, too.

He ran a dirt stained hand over his face. "Oh, fuck."

They were drawing a huge crowd, but Mike Wentworth wasn't in it. He wasn't as stupid as Penelope thought.

"Mike and I saw you holding Belinda-"

"She was crying," Derek began explaining.

"Derek, I know, sweetheart," she reassured him. "I'm not worried. I trust you."

Obviously still feeling like he needed to explain, Derek continued, "She told me her mom died, and-"

"Two years ago," the shortstop, number eight from the navy colored team, said.

Another team member nodded sympathetically at Derek. "You poor bastard."

Derek groaned. He couldn't believe he'd fallen for that crap. He looked over at Penelope, who started to snicker. "What's so damn funny?"

She started laughing more. "Oh, Derek, you should've seen your face!"

He grinned at her, laughing, too. "I kind of overreacted, didn't I?"

She giggled and nodded, then continued to laugh. "And you're so dirty!"

"It was a good tackle," number eight said.

"Oh, you think I'm dirty, huh? Well, since we are a perfect pair, you should match," he teased, pulling her into his arms, then laying down with her. He rolled over onto his back with her in the dirt, but only her knees got dusty.

She giggled again, leaning up to kiss him. When they stopped laughing, she said, "You should apologize to Scott, you know."

"I will," he said with absolute sincerity. There was no doubting he would do it.

"Okay!" number eight said, clapping his hands. "Then let's play ball!"

Derek stood, then pulled Penelope up to her feet. She dusted him off, and went to the bleachers to watch the delayed game. Derek walked over to Scott, who was pacing nervously over at the other bleachers. Scott blanched when he saw Derek approach, then was gracious enough to accept the apology.

And for the record, looking around, Penelope noticed that neither Mike, nor Belinda, were anywhere to be seen.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_AN: You are truly the nicest bunch of folks to write for. Thank you for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. Back on my regular posting schedule! _

Penelope was lying in bed naked, turned on her side, facing Derek. It had been an eventful day, even though it started rather peacefully. He was looking decidedly disgruntled. His brows, which were always so expressive and indicative of his moods, were drawn down in a scowl. She fought the urge to soothe him. Although she'd been the one who put him in the black mood he was in, she felt he deserved to be in that mood.

"Derek, I appreciate that you defended me," she began again, even more patiently this time, "but I think you are too overprotective."

"Why would you say that?" he asked after a moment's more of thinking.

"Because, sweetheart, it's true." She sighed. He was being remarkably thick-headed at this moment. "I can't have you jumping to beat everyone who offends me."

"Why in the hell not?"

She almost snickered. He looked like she'd gone crazy, like she'd asked him not to breathe. She shook her head. "Derek, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"I know that," he said, continuing to scowl. "I have no doubt that you are more than capable of running your own life, of defending yourself in most situations."

"That's good," she said. "And I know you're there if I need you, like I am for you."

He nodded. "You can duke it out, if you wanted, with someone who made a comment. Hell, you make _me_ cringe with some of your comebacks!"

She smiled.

"But in this case, a man physically threatened you." He gave her a sardonic grin. "Or so I was lead to believe."

"Not your fault," she said, thinking to herself that she was just as protective; she was defending him to himself!

"No, I needed more facts," he retorted, pulling her into his arms and rolling her under him.

"You are usually a very rational man," she replied, kissing the tip of his nose.

He shook his head. "Not when it comes to you. Never when it comes to you. The way I love you, the way I need to be with you; none of it is rational."

"Derek-"

His eyes grew dark, and they met hers with such passion, it took her breath away. "Don't ask me to love you with less than all my heart. I can't do it. I never could."

"I don't want you to be rational when it comes to that," she murmured, running her hands over his chest and shoulders. "I want you to fall as hard as I have."

He kissed the side of her neck, the spot below her ear. "I have. I continue to fall, every day, more and more in love with you."

"But I still need you to be rational with those that threaten me," she continued, bringing her hands back to his chest to stop him. It was difficult to not fall under the spell he created, especially when she could feel the warmth of his body pressing between her thighs, but she needed to make a point.

He rolled with her, so she was on top of him. He brushed her hair back from her cheeks, then cupped her face in his hands. "Okay. But I want you to take my self-defense class."

She gave him a sour face. He'd tried years ago to get her to go, but she had no desire to learn.

"Don't give me that look, woman. If I can't be there to kick the ass of any would-be attacker, you need to do it." He beamed at her and wiggled his eyebrows. "Who knows? You can be the muscle in our relationship."

She rolled her eyes and answered irritatedly, "Morgan, I don't want to put on some stupid leotard and sweat in front of a bunch of trainees. That is _so_ not me."

"T-shirt, shorts, and just me. Private lessons. An extra gift," he said, helping her sit up so she was straddling him. "Okay?"

"Okay. Especially since I may need to kick the ass of someone trying to attack you." She smiled and wriggled a little, brushing her bottom against his body. "Have to protect my investment, you know."

"Hell, yes," he said with a grin.

"And Derek?"

"What, honey?" he asked as he cupped her ass in his hands, pressing her closer.

She shuddered, starting to get even more distracted. "I already have the best gift, you know."

"Don't I know it," he smirked at her, and they made love.

* * *

Penelope had been putting off going to the damned training center with him. She was non-athletic. She'd never liked to do the running, jumping, and other things that were involved with athletics. She was the kind of woman that walked for exercise. Taking someone down and throwing them on a mat had no appeal.

Well, throwing Derek down on a mat and following him down did have a certain appeal, now that she thought about it...

"Baby- you're here," he said, interrupting her thoughts. He looked thoroughly surprised. He was wandering over from an elliptical runner, and was relatively sweaty.

She was downright cranky; not even a gorgeous, rippled, sweaty Hot Stuff was cheering her up. She balked at his tone. "I said I was coming."

Pulling her into his arms and hugging her, he said, "Ah, but you said you were coming three days in a row now, and you finally made it."

"I was busy," she said. It was sort of the truth. She had to get her nails done. And she had to get her roots retouched. And she had to finish a book...

He arched a brow and backed away from her, knowing damn well she was giving a half truth.

She scowled and put her hands on her waist. "Let's just do this."

"The first thing I want you to know is that I hope you never have to use any of this."

Scowling deeper, she said, "Why not?"

"Baby, I don't want you hurt. Not ever." He was frowning now, looking very seriously at her. This was obviously important to him.

She felt awful for being so non-receptive to this whole thing, and wanted to be a good student now. "I understand."

"Number one rule in self-defense is to not fight; run like hell if you get the chance, screaming loudly to get everyone else's attention."

"Derek, I don't plan on walking in any dark alleys, looking to pick a fight."

He scowled. "Most attacks don't happen-"

"I'm teasing, honey," she interrupted, then pointed to herself. "FBI, too. Remember?"

Smiling then, he shook his head. "Okay, crazy girl. Show me what you do know."

* * *

About a half hour later, Derek was rather impressed with his girlfriend in her neon-pink shorts, her white Betty Boop t-shirt, and her adorable ponytail bouncing on her head. She was hot, and she was tough. She had a lot of the basics down, which she'd learned with all the other staff when she first started. She was even able to break his hold on her, which made him the happiest. If she could do that, she could run away from trouble.

He managed to show her a few other choice things. She was truly getting into it. She showed a lot of spunk, a lot of vigor and enthusiasm. So much so, she elbowed him in the nose rather forcefully when he was showing her a specific move.

"Oh, shit!" he yowled, holding his poor, beleaguered beak and squeezing the rapidly swelling bridge.

Penelope brought her hands up to her cheeks in horror. "Oh, Derek! I'm so sorry! I didn't-"

He smiled, although his eyes were watering. She'd gotten him good; it was still stinging. "Hey. Sweetheart, don't apologize. It was an accident."

"Is it bleeding?" she asked, leaning close, then leaning back and covering her eyes. "Oh, dear Lord, please say it's not bleeding! I hate blood. I mean, I can deal with blood, but I hate blood, and I know-"

"P, you're rambling."

She opened her fingers over her eyes and looked at him cautiously. "It's not bleeding?"

"No," he said with a chuckle. "I'll be okay. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

She gave him a sheepish grin. "I got a little bit too into it, didn't I?"

"No, no. You were great!" He saw that she was still beaming with pride, and he followed her with that same feeling. He put his hands on her cheeks, rubbing her softly with his thumbs. "You're a natural, honey."

She raised her right arm and made a muscle. "Now that I'm a tough girl, you wanna show me how to throw you?"

He laughed, a deep belly laugh. "Hell, no! I've gotten roughed up enough for one day."

"Poor baby," she murmured, running her hands on his shoulders, then down his arms. "Should we go soak the aches away in the whirlpool?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea," he replied, kissing the side of her neck, slowly running his tongue up the salty sweet column to her ear. "Especially since I have instructor keys and can lock us in for awhile."

Trailing a finger across his chest, she said, "I like the way you think, Hot Stuff." Then she started walking towards the locker room, swaying her hips.

Watching her bottom moving seductively, he had a slow grin. He liked the way she thought, too.

**For More of this chapter, please see my profile!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_AN: Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate them; they make my day._

Penelope was back at the fields, watching Derek playing baseball. She'd entered into a routine with coming to the fields. She brought a blanket, and some sandwiches for all the guys, because none of the players ate anything before heading to play ball. They were a bunch of oversized teenagers in a lot of ways. She was handing out ham and cheese sandwiches to the players right now.

"Thanks, Garcia," Jose the catcher said. He unwrapped the sandwich, took a big bite and smiled. "These are the best damn sandwiches, woman."

She giggled. "It's because you guys are always starving when you eat them. That's why they taste so good."

"No, it's the pretty cook," Jose teased, purposely flirting with Penelope because Derek was nearby. "That's why they're tasty."

After his big reaction to poor Scott, the team tried to bait him all the time. Derek, to his credit, laid pretty low and didn't rise to the challenge at all.

Derek sat up and grinned. "Gee, thanks, Jose; I made this batch."

Jose got a sour look on his face, a cross between disgust and indigestion. "Aw, Morgan! Why you wanna be like that, man?"

"Lopez!" Colin Anderson, the third baseman, hollered over. "Quit bugging those two! Let's warm up!"

Penelope and Derek both laughed as the catcher stuffed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth, then stepped away to toss a ball with the third baseman.

They were eating their sandwiches, sitting on the blanket. Penelope had her legs crossed under her, Derek's were stretched out long in front of him, his ankles crossed. He took a sip of his beer, then said, "You've worked your magic again."

"What magic?" she asked while peeling away a piece of wilted lettuce.

"Your charm," he replied. "With the team, little girl. A bunch of tough old players. They all love you, like I do."

She knelt and came to his side. Lifting the brim of his cap, she leaned under just enough to kiss him. "But I only love you."

Derek pulled her into his lap and kissed her thoroughly, mindless of the whistling, whooping and catcalls they were receiving. He lifted his head, and put one hand on her cheek. "I've never been so happy in my life, Baby Girl."

She put her hand over his, nuzzling her cheek into his palm. "Me, too, Hot stuff."

"I want this to be forever, Penelope."

Her heart swelled with the implications of what he was saying. "It will be, Derek. I'll always love you."

"I know we've only been dating a month, but it's been the best month of my life. I can't imagine life without you like this." He lowered his head to brush her lips with his.

"Hey, it's seven!" called Anderson. "Game on!"

With a scowl at Anderson, and a sigh of regret, Derek gave her one more quick kiss, then stood, getting ready to take the field.

Penelope smiled, hugging her arms around herself. She was so in love, and she knew Derek felt the same way. She wished she could spend every moment with him. She could easily see forever with him. She wanted to marry him, have his babies, grow old with him. The whole enchilada.

Watching the game for the first couple of innings, the need to go to the bathroom hit. She stood, stretched, and started heading to the potties by the entrance. Derek was in field ten, as far from the bathroom as possible. Gravity made the situation worse, and the need went from urgent to emergency.

She was hurrying, focusing completely on getting to the bathrooms, so she didn't notice when an arm snaked around her waist and a hand clamped over her mouth.

* * *

Derek was next up to bat. He looked at the blanket where Penelope was supposed to be seated. He checked a few minutes ago, too. She wasn't sitting there then, either. A feeling of unease hit him, but he squashed it away. He was being overprotective again; Penelope would be quite upset if he took off when it was his turn to bat just because she stepped away.

"She went to the can," Jose said. He was up after Derek. Batting third, Derek was a hell of a power hitter, but Jose cleaned house a lot of times when he was up to bat. He had the meanest left handed hitting stance out there. A lot of pitchers didn't anticipate that Jose was a hook; he wore a right handed glove and fielded right handed.

Well that explained a lot of things. The bathroom was in China, it was so far away. It was going to take her longer to get there. Plus, Penelope said her stomach was bothering her a little bit before the game. He thought maybe that was taking her longer.

"Morgan." Scott Merriweather came jogging over from field five.

"Merriweather." The two men were cordial, but they would never be friends.

"I need you to hear me out," Scott said. "I'm concerned about Penelope. I saw her walk by to go to the bathroom, and a few moments later, Mike took off for the bathroom, too. He'd been drinking. Heavily."

Derek paled. As usual, his sixth sense wasn't leading him wrong. "Are you sure?"

Scott nodded, and Derek took off running, still holding the baseball bat.

He thought he might be using it.

* * *

"Now I got you, you uppity bitch," Mike sneered, squeezing her so tightly, she was nauseous.

Penelope was thinking. As soon as the terror fled, she tried to think of everything Derek showed her in the classes she had with him. She tried fighting, kicking or biting him. He easily over powered her. She tried being a dead weight, just hanging there and not walking. He simply dragged her behind the bathrooms. She tried to stomp on his foot, but he was too quick for that. He was a big guy, like Derek, and very strong.

_Run and scream, Penelope_, she told herself. _Just run and scream_.

Wanting to be able to get away, she dug her nails into his arm and did a quick move, causing him to release her. She took a couple steps, screaming, but he was fast and grabbed her hair again, putting his hand on her mouth.

"Stay still and shut up!" he yelled.

Penelope would've laughed if she wasn't so scared. Like she was going to listen to him!

Thinking fast, she tried the last two moves she learned, the thing she hurt Derek with while practicing. Maneuvering the small amount she could, she struck Mike in the groin, then raised her elbow when he lurched forward. The crunch she heard was absolutely satisfying in the highest regard.

It was as Mike crumpled to the ground that Derek came around the corner, with Scott following nearby. She was standing there with her fists up, Wentworth prostrate at her feet, and her face a study of determination. She was still ready to fight, if need be.

Derek watched her and a complex pile of emotions flooded him. Along with hatred and rage he felt for Wentworth, he was filled with immense pride for Penelope. And he was scared to death, too. The fear and worry for her safety, and the relief that she was okay, topped it all.

Penelope took one look at Derek. Her eyes grew huge, then her face crumpled. She ran into his arms, and burst into tears. She didn't know why she was crying. She beat the bad guy. She was safe now, unharmed, and in the arms of the man she loved, but she just couldn't stop crying.

Derek dropped the bat, picked her up and held her, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear. He muttered a few things to Scott, who answered and took charge of the situation. The entire time he held her. He never let her down.

"Wanna go home, baby?" he whispered softly, his lips brushing her temple.

He felt her nod.

He carried her all the way across the field, still kissing and cooing to her, and doing the same thing when he reached the car, put her in the front seat, and buckled her safety belt.

She cried hard for awhile longer, then quieted for a moment as Derek drove them home. He held her hand, and she held his back, and the tears slowed. Finally, she spoke.

"Derek?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Next time, you beat up the bad guy."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites; how fortunate for me to be getting gifts with this story, too! I got home a little late, so I am answering right after I post this. I am having so much fun with this story; I'm falling in love right along with them! _

Derek drove quickly to his place. Penelope had asked to come to his home tonight; she didn't want to be alone. Derek was glad they were thinking on the same level, because he would've begged for her to stay with him for the night. He wanted to be with her, wanted to hold her the entire night.

Once they reached his house, they walked hand in hand to the front door. They bypassed the living room and went straight to his bedroom, where they undressed and climbed into the shower. She reached for her shampoo, but he stopped her.

"Let me, please," he said softly.

She nodded, and he washed her hair, his fingers working out the tangles, touching her lightly, then he rinsed her with just as much care. His large hands rubbed her neck, soft but strong. She thought about Wentworth, and the massive difference between his hands and her Hot Stuff's. Derek's hands were big, bigger actually than Mike's, and so strong. Capable of violence, but showing strength instead, and never cruel. Wentworth's… she shuddered, thinking.

Derek enveloped her in his embrace, holding her against his wet chest. "You okay?"

"Yes," she sighed, letting him hold her while the water sprayed down on them. Derek rubbed her back, kneading her tight shoulder muscles. He trailed his hands slowly down her spine in soft circles. She was becoming very relaxed, leaning lazily against him. She felt so protected near Derek.

Helping her out of the shower, he wrapped a big towel around her. They dried off, and then she lay down in his bed. Derek climbed in after, wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you," he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

She sighed and smiled, snuggling closer to him. He didn't need to say it; she already knew he did. "I love you, too."

He simply held her then, making no other sounds. Feeling safe and contented, she closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

* * *

The next couple weeks were whirlwind busy. Penelope spent the majority of her time at Morgan's house. She tried going home at night, but never quite made it to the front door. Derek's kisses kept her moving in reverse, back to his bed.

At the end of the second week, the BAU had an out of town project. The team was working a difficult case in rural Wisconsin. Penelope stayed at Derek's place, keeping Clooney company. The dog was obviously grateful. He had a very decidedly canine smile, one that had his big brown eyes sparkling.

She was keeping herself and Clooney busy, taking him for a walk, making cookies, watching old musicals on the classic movie channels. But when it boiled down to it, she missed him. It was a different kind of missing. So different from when they were just friends, although she missed him then, too. This was an ache in her chest that wouldn't go away.

Penelope felt she did a good job flirting and being like she always was with him. They chatted like they always did, and he said he missed her. She thought that was sweet, and she couldn't wait for him to come home.

However, after the ninth day, even uber-positive Clooney was starting to look dejected. They'd just went to the dog park and were relaxing in front of the TV. Clooney was tired from tormenting a chipmunk. He was lying on the ground, his head on his paws. He waited for her to sit on the couch. Then he stood, wandered over to his toys, got his favorite tennis ball he tossed with Derek, dropped it on the floor by her feet, and put his head in her lap.

Penelope couldn't help it; she got tears in her eyes. "You miss him, too, don't you?"

Clooney wagged his tail slowly in answer.

"Daddy needs to come home, right?" She scratched his ears and adopted a very positive tone of voice. "Soon, okay?"

The tail started moving quicker. Clooney licked her hand, stood back up, and wandered over to his mat. A moment later, he moved in a circle, lay down, and went to sleep.

She felt that sleep wouldn't come as easy for her. Derek called her this morning, and he thought they'd be done soon, but he couldn't promise it. She was hoping that would be the truth. She'd flirted like crazy and didn't let on that she felt lonely; it wasn't fair to him for her to fall apart when he was gone. Anyway, that had been at noon and she hadn't heard from him since. His cellular reception was spotty out in the sticks.

Penelope turned on the TV, found the classic movie channel, and watched _Singin'__ in the __Rain_. She watched for awhile, grabbing the throw pillow nearest to her. She hugged it, trying to push away the ache in her heart. She wanted to lose herself in the energetic tap routines. She loved this movie. It was so lively and funny, even Derek liked it, although he refused to admit it.

About a half hour into the movie, she sighed. "Sorry, Gene Kelly. Even you aren't making me smile."

She stood, shut off the TV, climbed into the big lonely bed, and fell asleep.

* * *

Penelope woke to soft kisses on her neck, cheeks, lips, and the familiar, spicy smell of Derek. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him sleepily. "Hi there," she said, stretching a little.

He was naked, lying by her side, propped on one elbow. His hand was on her tummy, rubbing in slow circles. "Hi, buttercup baby."

"When did you get home?"

"About an hour ago," he murmured softly, kissing near her ear. "It's early, so I thought I'd just watch you sleep for awhile."

"How early?" she asked, her voice husky from sleep. She noticed the bedroom was just starting to get the early light gray color of pre-dawn.

"Five thirty. I tried to just watch, but I had to touch you." He leaned down to kiss her neck again, softly, gently. "I couldn't help myself."

She could feel the press of his erection against her hip, so she reached her hand down and ran her fingertips over him lightly. Murmuring seductively, she replied, "I can't help myself, either."

They made love.

**For More of this chapter, please see my profile!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. Only two chapters after this (Unless I missed something... you'll have to let me know!)! I am going to miss this story..._

Penelope woke a few hours later to the alarm on her phone going off. She sent Hotch a text, telling him that she would not be in, she was spending the day with Derek. She knew he wouldn't be in yet, either. The team never came in after being out all night on a case. She was surprised when she got a text back.

_OK. Congratulations. AH_

She frowned at her phone. What the hell was that all about? It obviously wasn't congratulations for taking the day off. That was not something a boss would text! She looked at it again, then looked at the heavily breathing, sometimes snoring, love of her life lying next to her.

He and Hotch were quite good friends. There were a few times when the two butted heads, but not very often. They were both analytical thinkers, both very professional, although Derek smiled so much more than Hotch did. He told Hotch a lot of things; not _usually _personal, but sometimes he did.

She put two and two together, and reasonably came up with four, by her estimate. She fought squealing with delight. Derek was going to ask her to marry him. He probably would've last night, if he wasn't so tired. The man was a horrible insomniac. When he was on a case, he stayed up multiple nights in a row. She knew, because he would send texts and emails to her at all hours around the clock. Silly ones, serious ones, sexy ones; it was his primary way to communicate with her when he was on a case and couldn't call. She guessed he had maybe forty hours of sleep in the nine days he was gone. Add a rousing round of passion, and there was no wonder why he was so zonked now.

She couldn't wait to tell JJ and Emily. She would swear them to secrecy, of course. They would be bridesmaids. Pink. She'd have pink flowers. And pink dresses. She didn't think her Hot Stuff would really care about the colors. That wasn't a manly thing, and Lord knew, he was all man. Oh! And lillies. She'd have starcaster lillies and calla lillies, all in beautiful bloom. She knew she was getting ahead of herself, but she couldn't help it. That left but one question.

She wondered when he would ask.

Now she was too excited to sleep. She rolled out of bed, looking at her handsome Prince Charming. She didn't want to wake him, but she couldn't help it. She leaned over and whispered, "I love you, Hot Stuff. And the answer is yes, by the way."

* * *

Derek woke up slowly at about four in the afternoon. He rubbed his eyes and groaned. He overslept. Whenever he slept too much, his head felt like wood when he woke up.

He only liked that to happen to one particular part of his body on arising.

Glancing around the room, he noticed Penelope wasn't there. He didn't expect her to be; very few people were in their bedrooms in the late afternoon just to hang out. He would have to find her, then take her to a nice dinner. He had something very special planned; he was extremely excited about it.

He noticed his cell was flashing. He picked it up, and saw he had a text from Hotch.

_Call me_.

Derek groaned. He hoped to God it wasn't another case. He had a woman to propose to, and he refused to do it long distance. Dialing, he called his boss's cell. "Yeah, Hotch. 'sup?"

"Morgan, I think I was a bit early with the congratulations."

Cold water hit Derek. "What?"

Hotch sighed. "Penelope sent a message, requesting the day off to spend it _celebrating_ with you."

"She must've meant celebrating me coming home," Derek said, understanding what happened. Closing his eyes and running his hand over his face, he stifled a groan. So much for his surprise. It was impossible to hide anything from that woman. Then again, maybe she...

He thought about what she said. He was still sleeping, snoring actually, when she leaned over him and whispered _the answer is yes _before she left the room.

She obviously knew. He was a notoriously light sleeper- he always had one eye and one ear open.

"I realized my mistake when Emily called and JJ sent a text, wanting to know how long I knew." Hotch's tone was grim.

He let Hotch know a long time ago he wanted to marry Penelope. At lunch breaks, he would sneak out and ring shop. Being with Penelope twenty-four-seven when he was in town didn't lend for secrets very easily, even positive ones like this one. Hotch was more than happy to cover for Derek, keeping P distracted; the man was a true romantic at heart.

Derek laughed lightly. It was ironic; Hotch would've been the last man on earth to spill a secret. Somehow, it fit in his relationship with his Baby Girl. Nothing was ever truly straightforward!

"Morgan, I am sorry-"

"Hey, man, it's alright," Derek said quickly, his mind working on a solution. "I'll figure something out to make it a surprise."

* * *

Penelope was searching dresses on the computer. She was looking at every bridal shop within a hundred miles. She found a lot of strapless gowns that were beautiful, and some that were long sleeved. It was hard to choose without a date. She wondered when Derek would want to get married. She was fine with...

She heard the door open, so she shut down the computer, so he wouldn't know that she knew. "Derek!"

"Hi, Baby," he said, walking in and standing near her. He noticed her guilty look. She must've been wedding shopping. He had to hide a laugh; she couldn't keep secrets easily, either. "Would you be okay with going out to dinner? I have reservations for us at our place."

She grinned. "The depot for Italian."

"Hell, yes, momma." He grinned back at her, pulling her to her feet and into his arms.

"I have a surprise for you."

She hoped she was able to contain the thrill that ran through her. This was it! The ballerina in her heart was doing pirouettes and the gymnast was doing cartwheels. It was nearly impossible to keep the almost passive look on her face.

She hoped she was successful. She didn't want to ruin his surprise.

She hugged him again, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I better get dressed."

* * *

Dinner was a grand affair. The fettuccine was delicious and creamy, the wine fragrant and superior, the bread crusty and fantastic. The music was gorgeous, a strolling musician even played a beautiful song for them. It was the best ambiance in the world, the most romantic setting ever contrived. She should've been thrilled.

Except he didn't say anything.

She decided to push a little, just a gentle hint to get him on track. "Derek, you said you had a surprise. What is it?"

In the midst of speaking, she changed her mind. She decided to push _a lot_.

"Baby Girl, I love you."

"I know," she said, her heart beating harder when he reached across the table and held her hand, brushing his lips against her knuckles in a smoldering kiss.

"And I will always love you."

"I love you, too." The suspense was killing her. Her heart actually stopped for a moment.

"Penelope," he whispered, her name a sweet prayer. "I want to ask you..." His voice trailed off.

"Yes, Derek?" she asked expectantly.

"Would you-"

Her heart stopped and swelled.

"-move in with me?"

Her heart deflated. She looked down at the table, trying to reckon with what she just heard. That was no big deal. She was at his house all the time now, anyway. This couldn't be it.

A million questions ran through her mind. Was she wrong? She thought for sure.. but _congratulations _could've... but Emily and JJ thought so, too... and-

"After all," he said, interrupting her thinking. "If you are going to be my wife, I need you to live with me."

Penelope looked up into his twinkling, warm brown eyes, and saw that he was holding a big, beautiful diamond ring in his other hand. He slid it onto her finger with a massive grin. "You already said yes this morning. I'm holding you to it."

She thought about all the emotions running through her body right now. She was happy, so in love, tearful, and a little bit pissed at his obvious teasing of her. She shook her head, smiling with tears in her eyes. "You are so going to get it, when you least expect it, you know."

"From you, Baby Girl," he squeezed her hand, then kissed near the ring, "I look forward to it."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_AN: Thank you for the reviews, everyone. Here's the other part of the special surprise Derek had planned. With that being said..._

After dinner, Derek reached for her hand again. "Come on," he said, getting to his feet.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking somewhat confused.

He smiled at her as he looped his arm around her waist protectively. "Where we went last time we were here. Except this time, you're not crying."

"This time, I am a much more satisfied woman," she said, leaning into his side even more.

"Only one thing hasn't changed," Derek stated, opening the doors to the dark interior of the Club Room. She looked around, seeing no other patrons. In fact, there was no one but the pianist, playing soft jazz music on the grand piano. Everything else was the same, the fire in the fireplace was burning bright, the leather, stuffed armchairs were secluded.

She looked up at him as he lead her out on the small dance floor. "What is that, Clyde?" she questioned breathlessly.

He gave a gentle tug on her arm, and pulled her closer into his embrace. He raised one of her hands to behind his neck, and held the other in his, between their bodies, close to his heart. He moved his hand to the small of her back, down to the beginning curve of her derriere. His cheek was pressed to hers, and they were swaying in perfect time to the piano.

"It's so easy, Baby Girl," he murmured softly, his voice deep and husky. "I was in love with you then, I'm in love with you now. That's something that will never change."

The love she felt in his arms rose, until she felt like she glowed with feeling. She'd never felt so safe, so warm, so loved in her life. There was something so special about him. Everything he did for her wasn't because he had to, it was because he wanted to. It wasn't a duty, it was out of love. He touched her heart, kept it protected and nourished her spirit. She'd found that elusive love fairy tales were written about, and she planned on keeping hold of it forever.

Derek held her in his arms, thanking his lucky stars he had her. He'd had a lot of missed chances with her, but that was all done now. He wasn't going to miss another step, not one more moment. He barely wanted to close his eyes, because he'd miss watching her sleep. He knew what he had; contrary to popular belief, Derek knew exactly what love was. He'd seen it with his parents, for the short time they had together. He wanted that love and he found it. He found it with his best friend, and he was holding on with both hands.

They danced for a couple more songs, then Derek lead her over to the bar. They took seats on two stools where there were glasses with ice and a mixed drink in them.

"I didn't think you'd be crying, but I didn't want to take any chances," he said with a smirk.

Penelope lifted the glass and took a sip of the Jack and Coke. She smiled at him. "It's perfect. Thank you."

He took the glass away from her, and placed it back on the bar. Moving his thigh between hers, he gripped her hips in his hands and pulled her closer. Sliding his hands up her body, stopping when he cupped her face, he caught her lips in a hungry kiss. He angled his mouth, slanting across hers in the perfect fit. She felt the magnificent dichotomy of his lips; soft and strong, firm and tender, sweet and salty, and the swirling, liquid heat that only he could bring out in her flowed through her veins.

She opened her mouth and their tongues slid across each other, dancing, tangling, mating. She couldn't get enough of him. Her heart pounded, matching the throbbing between her legs, the need for completion. It happened so fast, like a she was a store room of fireworks, and he was the match. She brought her hands up to his chest, resting her nearly boneless arms against him.

He trailed his hands slowly down until he was resting them on her waist. He murmured softly against her lips, "Oh, the way you kiss, woman."

That gave her pause. "The way _I_ kiss?"

"Hell, yes," he muttered softly, resting his forehead on hers. "You kiss me, and the world ignites."

Penelope couldn't help but smile, and her throat constricted a little with tenderness. If she ever needed proof, that was it. They each had passion, they each had fire, but it was when they were together that made it explosive. "I love you, Derek Morgan. You know that, right?"

Derek's eyes darkened considerably, and he held her hand again. They stood, and he lead her to the large, stuffed armchair in the corner by the fireplace where they sat before. He took a seat and she joined him on his lap, exchanging kisses. He moved so that she was resting against his shoulder, and deepened the kiss yet again, his tongue boldly claiming her mouth.

They made love.

She laid back against his chest, sweaty and happy. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her tight. Then it hit her and she tried to sit up. "The pianist!"

"Left before I even touched your bra, honey." He chuckled softly. "I'm not sharing you with anybody, even a voyeur."

"I swore I still heard music," she murmured, turning her head to kiss his bicep.

"That wasn't music." Lifting her slightly so he could hold her more securely on his lap, he kissed her softly. "That's our magic, sweetheart."

**For More of this chapter, please see my profile!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21-The Epilogue Chapter**

_AN: We have reached the end of the journey for this story. Thank you so much for reading. You are all such a wonderful group of people to write for; you make the story ideas flow endlessly for me. I can't wait to share my next story with you! With lots of love and appreciation, Kricket_

Monday morning, Penelope was sitting in the monthly Tech Department meeting for the FBI. She had no desire whatsoever to be there. It happened at the ungodly hour of seven AM. This was to accommodate the twelve tech people that worked overnights. They just stayed later as the other TAs arrived for the day. Some were even cheerful and happy they got to be at work early. Not Penelope. She was _so_ not a morning person.

Add onto that Derek kept her up late most nights. Last night, however, was rather by accident. The man was a massive cuddler, loved to hold her, kiss her, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, even when he was sleeping.

In the middle of the night, she'd heard, "Mmm, oh, yeah… Baby Girl."

It was obviously a very good dream. She'd known Derek had a lot of nightmares, so she'd been very pleased by this turn in events. Then she felt the hard press of his erection against her, and she couldn't help but wake him up in a very happy fashion. It didn't matter that they'd made love at the restaurant, once more when they got home, and three times on Sunday; they needed each other yet again. They were that insatiable for each other.

About a half hour into the meeting, she was nearly daydreaming and fighting drool. The rest of the tech department were into security breaching, and their debates were boring as hell and practically medieval compared to what she was already doing. It was the driest thing she ever had to listen to. She had to keep herself busy someway, so she started thinking again about Derek, about how fantastic he was, and how much she loved him...

"God, I am so p.o'd!" the whiny tone of Elba Martin drew Penelope out of her reverie.

She turned to look at her and nod a greeting. She didn't want to be cruel to Elba, but she wasn't pleasant to her, either. Kevin was the true problem, anyway, not her. Nonetheless, Penelope was pleased she only stared at Elba's mole for an extra second or so.

"Why, Elba?" Nadia Bornstein asked, her false concern ringing in her voice.

Kylie Manter sat next to her and patted her knee. "Yes, tell us all about it."

"I think I am going to dump Kevin Lynch."

"Why?" Kylie asked, her tone eerily similar to Nadia's.

Penelope's stomach flipped at the devious twins. These two were _experts_ at gossip.

"That is such a huge surprise! I thought your relationship was hot?" Nadia queried.

Elba scoffed. "Says who?"

Kylie began, "Kevin was saying to Steve-"

"I fake it. I've faked it since minute one. The man is simply the worst I have _ever_ had in bed. He has arms like an octopus and kisses like an eel; he's all wet and slippery... and not in a good way, either!"

Penelope knew she shouldn't be listening, but she couldn't help it. What Elba was saying was correct. The octopus arms she always took as him being so eager with wanting her. She thought that meant he was being eager to please, but she knew now that was wrong.

Derek asked her what her wants were, listened to her, held her just because, and simply loved her. He showed her what a true lover should be like, one that truly wanted to please her.

The more she thought, the more she smiled. She deserved better all those years. Derek made her realize that, too. She was kind, giving, and loving. She deserved the best. She deserved Derek.

A moment later, Penelope stood. "You really need to have a more private conversation," she said, glaring at the gossips, then looking at Elba empathetically. "Good luck to you."

With that, she walked out of the meeting with a smile on her face. Her team was wheels up in a few moments; she wanted to be there to give an extra special smile to the man she loved when they called on her.

* * *

"Well it's about damn time," David Rossi said in his usual blunt manner. "I've been sick of watching you be moony over her for the past three years."

"Three?" Reid squeaked. "Try six!"

"Kid, don't make me flatten you," Derek said, wishing he never got on the plane today. He expected some ribbing, but these two were absolutely relishing the opportunity.

"Oh, come on. You know we have to give you hell," Rossi interjected, a slight smile on his handsome face. "It's what we do best."

Reid placed his hand over his heart. "Yes, the great Derek Morgan, head over heels in love. The mighty tree of bachelorhood, chopped down by his own best friend."

"That tree will be an end table, an entertainment center, a crib…." Rossi let his voice trail off with a tsking of his tongue.

"Hey, I really don't mind," Derek grinned at Rossi. "After all, I'm already her _entertainment center_."

"Good Lord, you're mushy," Prentiss said with a scowl.

JJ crinkled her nose. "And kind of disgusting."

Derek put his feet up on the table, crossing his legs at the ankle and putting his arms behind his head. "If you got it good, you got it good."

"It was bad enough when we didn't know who the woman was, but now," Emily groaned and looked away. "TMI, Morgan."

"Honestly, we're all very happy for you," JJ said with a warm, sincere smile.

"It was a long time coming," Hotch stated, coming up with his paperwork.

"Which leads back to my first comment: It's about damn time," Rossi said with a smirk. "Proving yet again my Italian intuition is rarely wrong."

"Coming from a man with three ex-wives," Hotch added with a smirk of his own.

"Touché," Rossi replied with a wince.

With that, Hotch began discussing the case. It was a rather brutal one, but Derek still couldn't help the smile on his face or the warmth he had in his heart. When Hotch called on Penelope, and she came up on the screen, she gave him just the briefest smile, one he knew was especially for him. He wanted to turn the plane around and hold her in his arms.

It didn't surprise him. After all, he was head over heels, disgustingly in mushy love with her.

It was a long time coming.

And thinking, he knew Rossi was right: It was _about damn time_.


End file.
